In his congressional testimony, Hill said the U.S. is on track to removing all its combat forces from Iraq by next August. He said the U.S. is moving toward a civilian-led effort to develop a long-term relationship with Iraq. Republicans and Democrats on the committee stressed their disappointment that Iraqi officials have rarely offered expressions of gratitude for the sacrifices made by American troops in Iraq since the 2003 invasion. Hill, however, said that Iraqis are not reluctant to show their gratitude. "I do hear it every day," he said. "That is a daily occurrence in my life there." Committee members pressed Hill on Iranian influence in Iraq, the capability of Iraqi security forces, the Baghdad government's recent attack on an Iranian exile compound north of the Iraqi capital, and the prospects for resolving Iraqi political issues such as the Arab-Kurd conflict in the north. Hill said he does not expect the Iraqis to hold a national referendum in coming months that would require all U.S. forces to leave within one year - well ahead of the existing plan to withdraw completely by the end of 2011. "I do not expect to see a referendum, but I want to make very clear (that) whether they have a referendum is entirely their decision," Hill said. Cameroon RPCV Christopher R. Hill is presently US Ambassador to Iraq and formerly served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and U.S. ambassador to South Korea.
Hill says US sticking to withdrawal plan in Iraq
Envoy says US sticking to withdrawal plan in Iraq
By ROBERT BURNS (AP) – 1 day ago
WASHINGTON - The U.S. ambassador to Iraq told Congress on Thursday that despite a recent rash of insurgent attacks, the U.S. is on track to removing all its combat forces by next August.
"We are holding to this timetable," Christopher Hill told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in his first congressional testimony since taking over the top U.S. diplomatic post in Baghdad in April.
Hill also said he is encouraged that the recent violence, including dual bombings of the Iraqi finance and foreign ministries that killed about 100 people, has failed to push Iraq back to the brink of civil war.
"The reality is that the Iraqis have stood firm and have rejected retribution and a new cycle of violence," Hill said.
"The bombings in recent months show that we still have to deal with al-Qaida in Iraq that tries to rekindle violence," the envoy said. "To the great credit of the Iraqi people, however, they have not risen to the bait."
One reason for the brake on a return to sectarian warfare, Hill added, is that Iraqi security forces have progressed so far in professional development that they are seen by ordinary Iraqis as being committed to "play it fair and they do their jobs."
Under a plan he announced shortly after taking office, President Barack Obama has set August 2010 as a deadline for removing all U.S. combat forces. A separate agreement with Iraq, reached by Obama's predecessor, requires a complete U.S. withdrawal - including noncombat military forces - by the end of 2011.
Meanwhile, the No. 2 American commander in Iraq told reporters at the Pentagon that it's too early to tell whether officials will be able to go forward with a possible acceleration of the drawdown of U.S. troops.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates in July cited the possibility that an extra combat brigade of 5,000 American troops might be brought home early from Iraq if the trend of reduced violence held. It was the first suggestion that the Obama administration might rethink its decision to keep as many forces in Iraq as possible this year ahead of Iraq's upcoming national election.
Asked if an accelerated withdrawal still seems a possibility, Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby said: "We'll see how the environment improves as we head toward the election."
"I will tell you that it's a volatile time period" now, Jacoby told Pentagon reporters in a video conference from Iraq, where he said he believes homegrown al-Qaida fighters are responsible for most of the recent spectacular deadly bombings.
In his congressional testimony, Hill said the U.S. is on track to removing all its combat forces from Iraq by next August. He said the U.S. is moving toward a civilian-led effort to develop a long-term relationship with Iraq.
Republicans and Democrats on the committee stressed their disappointment that Iraqi officials have rarely offered expressions of gratitude for the sacrifices made by American troops in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.
Hill, however, said that Iraqis are not reluctant to show their gratitude.
"I do hear it every day," he said. "That is a daily occurrence in my life there."
Committee members pressed Hill on Iranian influence in Iraq, the capability of Iraqi security forces, the Baghdad government's recent attack on an Iranian exile compound north of the Iraqi capital, and the prospects for resolving Iraqi political issues such as the Arab-Kurd conflict in the north.
Hill said he does not expect the Iraqis to hold a national referendum in coming months that would require all U.S. forces to leave within one year - well ahead of the existing plan to withdraw completely by the end of 2011.
"I do not expect to see a referendum, but I want to make very clear (that) whether they have a referendum is entirely their decision," Hill said.
The envoy also said the Iraqi government has fallen short on its commitment to accommodate the return of refugees, including people forced from their homes by sectarian violence. He said the Iraqi effort on this so far has been disappointing and stressed that he would urge the government to make it a higher priority.
Associated Press Writer Pauline Jelinek in Washington contributed to this story.
