Gates: Combat brigade may leave Iraq early

updated 9:21 a.m. ET July 29, 2009

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRPLANE - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday he sees "some chance of a modest acceleration" in the pace of U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Gates, returning from a trip to Iraq, told reporters aboard his plane that perhaps one combat brigade would come out of Iraq ahead of schedule. He did not give a precise timetable.

U.S. officials had worried that last month's formal handover of control of Iraqi cities to Iraqi security forces might erode gains that had already been made. But Gates said Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. general in Iraq, told him the security situation is better than expected.

President Barack Obama has announced plans to withdraw American combat forces from Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010. The bulk of the current 138,000 U.S. troops are expected to remain until Iraq's national elections, scheduled for late this year. Maintaining security for the balloting is considered a top priority by Odierno and other high-ranking Pentagon officials.

After the August 2010 deadline for withdrawal of combat forces, 30,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in advisory and training roles until the end of 2011.

Gates told reporters "there is at least some chance of a modest acceleration" in the pace of U.S. troop withdrawal.

Warning to squabbling Kurds, Arabs
Before leaving Iraq, Gates warned squabbling Kurds and Iraqi Arabs that they don't have much time to settle their differences and offered to help mediate before American forces leave.

Gates talked with Kurdish President Massoud Barzani and other leaders on their home ground in the Kurds' oil-rich, self-ruled area.

"We urged them to take advantage of our remaining time in Iraq to settle some of these disputed issues," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters.

Gates "reminded his host that we have all sacrificed too much in blood and treasure to see the gains of the last few years lost due to political differences," Morrell said.

The secretary told Barzani he had delivered the same message to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Tuesday.

The relatively affluent, peaceful Kurdish North is feuding with al-Maliki's government over its borders and resources. Gates met with Barzani, who claimed victory in a re-election vote last weekend that also saw large gains by an opposition slate, in Irbil, seat of the regional government.

Morrell said the U.S. military has advisers already serving as go-betweens for the Kurdish militia and Iraq's armed forces.

Gates told Barzani that the U.S. backs a set of United Nations recommendations to resolve some of the major disputes. Morrell would not characterize Barzani's response, except to say that Gates left the meeting "with the sense, just as he did in Baghdad, that the Kurds very much want to take advantage of our presence."

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