BAGHDAD — Three years ago, the United States thinned out its presence in Baghdad, and Iraqi forces could not stem the tide of sectarian fighting. By the end of June, Iraq’s forces will again be in control of their cities — and many Iraqis wonder whether they are up to the task.
Publicly, the U.S. military insists it has full confidence in Iraq’s army and police to cope with security challenges after the June 30 deadline for American combat troops to leave Baghdad, Mosul and other cities.
Privately, however, some U.S. and Iraqi officials acknowledge no one can say with certainty whether Iraq’s police and soldiers can perform until they assume the responsibility.
Many Iraqis fear that Sunni and Shiite extremists are laying low, waiting for the Americans to pull back before launching attacks.
“I think that there are terrorist groups that will try to carry out some terrorist and criminal activities in the coming period during and after the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the cities,” Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani said last week.
“Despite the existing security challenges and threats, I think that our security forces should be given the confidence and the chance to prove their capability,” he added.
Although major bombings have fallen about 50 percent since April, the attacks have left many Iraqis uneasy about what will happen when the Americans pull out — especially in Baghdad and Mosul, where al-Qaeda and other Sunni groups still operate.
“As a matter of principle, nobody wants foreign forces to stay in the country, but the current bloodshed acts proved that Iraqi forces are not ready yet to be responsible for security,” said Haider Abbas, 45, a Shiite teacher living in east Baghdad.
The June 30 withdrawal date was provided for in the U.S.-Iraq security agreement that took effect this year. President Barack Obama plans to end U.S. combat operations by September 2010 and remove all U.S. troops from the country by Dec. 31, 2011.
