US troop numbers in Iraq fell below the 50,000 mark on Tuesday, a week ahead of a declaration of an end to combat operations, a key milestone seven years on from the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
The news comes as a spike in unrest over the past two months has triggered concern that Iraqi forces are not yet ready to handle security on their own, and with no new government formed in Baghdad since a March 7 general election.
"Today, in line with President (Barack) Obama's direction and as part of the responsible drawdown of forces, US military force levels in Iraq are below 50,000," the US military announced.
The top US commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, said around 49,700 of his soldiers are now stationed in the country. "It will stay at that level through next summer," he told reporters at a briefing in Baghdad.
Shortly after coming into office in 2009, Obama pledged to end combat operations in Iraq by the end of this August, bringing "Operation Iraqi Freedom" to an end, at which point troop figures would drop below 50,000.
From September 1, American forces in Iraq will carry out missions under "Operation New Dawn."
The US troop level is now less than a third of the peak figure of around 170,000 during the military "surge" of 2007, when Iraq was in the midst of a brutal Shiite-Sunni sectarian war which cost thousands of lives.
The US military has withdrawn tens of thousands of soldiers in recent months, and the last American unit designated as a "combat brigade" left Iraq and crossed into neighbouring Kuwait last Thursday.
All remaining US brigades in Iraq are now labelled "advise and assist" brigades, as part of American plans to help train and build up Iraqi forces before a complete withdrawal, due to take place by the end of next year.
A spike in violence over the past two months, however, has sparked concern that local forces are not ready to take over sole responsibility for their country's security.
According to Iraqi figures, disputed by the United States, July was the deadliest month in Iraq since May 2008. Last week, a suicide bomber killed 59 people at an Iraqi army recruitment centre in Baghdad.
US commanders insist their Iraqi counterparts are up to the task, but Iraq's top military officer warned earlier this month his army would not be ready until 2020 and called for US forces to stay until then.
Odierno, however, disagreed with Lieutenant General Babaker Zebari's assessment, saying at the briefing in Baghdad that he was "not sure I agree with the 2020 thing."
"I think some time after 2011 (for Iraq's security forces to be ready). I feel comfortable with what they have been able to do internally."
The top general already admitted on Sunday that a "complete failure" of Iraq's forces could oblige the United States to resume combat operations, but said this was an unlikely scenario.
Odierno told CNN the ability of Iraqi police and soldiers to keep a lid on the violence was improving, with the country on target to handle its own security after 2011.
"My assessment today is they will be (ready)," he said, speaking from Baghdad, but added the US military may be forced to resume combat operations "if, for example, you had a complete failure of the (Iraqi) security forces ...
"If you had some political divisions within the political forces that caused them to fracture, but we don't see that happening."
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
