U.S. preparing for a possible delay of troop withdrawal in Iraq

Washington - The top United States Commander in Iraq has said the withdrawal of combat troops could be delayed if the violence increases in the country and if the situation deteriorates.

The United States has prepared contingency plans for a possible delay in the planned withdrawal date, which was slated to be August, according to the Washington Post. The delayed withdrawal is due to the possible escalation in violence and political strife from March’s general elections. Army General Ray Odierno, the top US commander in Iraq, said on Monday that he briefed top officials in Washington and the Pentagon about a possible delay in full detail, however, he said he was quite optimistic about not implementing such changes. The Seattle Times notes that under an agreement by former President George W. Bush, all combat troops will be out of the country by Aug. 31 but 50,000 troops will remain to assist in training Iraqi forces. The remaining troops are to be gone by 2011. “Right now, our plan is to be at 50,000 by the first of September. If you ask me today, I'm fully committed and that's the right course of action. If there's a problem in forming the government, does it translate into violence? And right now, we're not sure. We think so far it will probably go fairly smoothly, but we'll wait to see.” said Odierno. Currently, attacks in the region are increasing by the day, reports Islam Online. On Monday, gunmen murdered two families by killing 11 people, including 6 children in Baghdad. A suicide car bomb struck a detention center, which killed three people, including one child. Two Iraqi soldiers and policemen were shot by unidentified gunmen. Two people, including a Lieutenant, were killed in Kirkuk.