US Troops could stay in Mosul past June

Staff Sgt. Eddie Fonoti of the 25th Infantry Division Special Troops Battalion pulls security outside the Benham Monastery near Mosul, Iraq.

It might be needed and although the status of force agreement called for a withdrawal of US troops from cities by June 30, it was understood that the US would provide support over the deadline if needed and Clinton in Baghdad the other day hardly sounded defeatist.

WASHINGTON (April 14, 2009) – U.S. soldiers could remain in Mosul, Iraq, past June 30, when Iraqi forces are scheduled to assume full security responsibilities for the entire country, a senior U.S. military commander in the area said Tuesday.

Army Col. Gary Volesky, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, said in a video news conference from Iraq that the Iraqi government will make that determination.

“We are conducting an assessment right now with our Iraqi counterparts to determine what the way ahead is for security in Mosul,” Volesky said. “If the Iraqi government believes we should stay in Mosul to continue the security progress, we’ll support our Iraqi counterparts past 30 June.”

For Now Iraqi troops are still leading the security efforts and in time it will be their decision on keeping troops in the cities.

But, Volesky said, he remains confident in his Iraqi counterparts. He compared Iraqi forces during his previous deployment to Iraq in 2004 to now and called the Iraqis “100 percent” improved. The 25,000 Iraqi soldiers and policemen in his area of responsibility conduct independent operations daily and actually take the brunt of insurgent attacks in the city, he said.

“Insurgents have focused their attacks on the Iraqi security forces, and the Iraqis have not wavered at all,” he added.

Iraqis, for the most part, continue to lead the security effort there, with help from U.S. aviation, engineer and intelligence assets that the Iraqi military can’t provide themselves, Volesky said, but the Iraqis forces are doing well with what they have.

“They’re all in the lead right now,” Volesky said. “I don’t own a base, and I coordinate all of my operations with them. So, they’re doing those things today that we expect them to do when we eventually leave.”

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