The US military's withdrawal from Iraq's cities is proceeding as planned and will have taken place by June 30th 2009, it was reported yesterday. The departure was described by the chief military commander of US forces in the country, General Ray Odierno, as "a significant moment in history".

Speaking to representatives of the media gathered together in Baghdad on June 15th, the general added: "The dark days of previous years are behind us. It's a fitting time that our combat forces return from cities and villages."

US Armed Forces Withdrawal

Contrary to previous thoughts, the mass US armed forces withdrawal will include Mosul - the location of a marked upsurge in violence at the beginning of 2009. On the subject of Mosul, Odierno said he was now confident in its future and that control of it would be transferred over to Iraqi forces. These Iraqi forces, he added, had already assumed responsibility for more than 140 US outposts spread across Iraq. US military personnel will remain stationed at the remaining 320 sites, but predominantly to provide support and guidance.

Over the past nine months, approximately 30,000 US troops have been pulled out of the country, leaving a present force of 130,000.

The general picture in Iraq, the general said, was strikingly different than two years ago, when insurgent forces were arriving in the country in regular waves. "We have seen a significant decrease in the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq in the last eight to 10 months. For the most part it has just been a trickle. We have seen some fighters coming through Syria, but Syria has been taking some action over the last few weeks, so hopefully that will continue.

"Al-Qaida has been degraded. And financially it has become more difficult for them to operate."

US Troop Deployments

All-in-all, General Odierno stated, the majority of US troop deployments in urban parts of Iraq had already been terminated, and the scheduled withdrawal was running on time.

Shortly after General Odierno's media event, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki confirmed to a French newspaper that the country would not have a need for US forces in combat past June 30th.

"We will not ask them to intervene in combat operations or in operations related to maintaining public order", al-Malaki said in comments published by Le Monde, adding: "It is finished."

US forces, he said, would only be called on "...for transporting our troops when we need them because we don't have any planes. That is why we are purchasing helicopters from France and the United States."

The current wider plan for US forces in Iraq is that they will have left the country entirely by December 2011.