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U.S. returns control of Anbar to Iraqis

BAGHDAD: The U.S. military handed over control of Anbar Province to Iraqi forces on Monday. But officials warned the struggle against Al-Qaeda in Iraq and other militants was not over in the western region, the scene of some of the bloodiest battles in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

“This war is not quite over, but it’s being won and primarily by the people of Anbar. Al-Qaeda has not been entirely defeated in Anbar, but their end is near and they know it,” said Marine Major-General John Kelly, the top U.S. commander in Anbar, during the handover ceremony.

The return of security control to Iraqi authorities does not mean U.S. troops, who number about 25,000 in the region, would leave Anbar. The vast region extends from the western outskirts of Baghdad to the borders of Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. But U.S. troops would cut back on patrols and focus on training Iraq’s Army and the police. U.S. President George W. Bush hailed the turnover a major achievement, saying the region had been “transformed and reclaimed by the Iraqi people.” — AP

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U.S. returns control of Anbar to Iraqis

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