Casey: Results from Baghdad push will come 'through the summer and fall'

BAGHDAD, Iraq — There are no guarantees of overall success or quick results in the new U.S.-Iraqi security drive in Baghdad, Gen. George Casey, the U.S. commander in Iraq, said Monday.

He told reporters he did not expect significant results until the summer and fall, for the first time putting a timeframe around the new plan that was announced Wednesday by President Bush.

"As with any plan, there are no guarantees of success, and it's not going to happen overnight but with sustained political support and the concentrated efforts on all sides I believe that this plan can work," Casey told a news conference.

He also suggested the security drive might take months to show results.

"I think you'll see a gradual evolution over the next two to three months, and then you'll see things continue to get better up through the summer and fall. It'll take some time," Casey said, standing at the side of U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad.

From the Examiner

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