General Mixon: Beginning of force withdrawal in north could take up to 2 years

Above: Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division guard the Askariya Mosque in Samarra from behind a concrete barrier in June. The area is part of General Mixon's command.

The top U.S. general in northern Iraq said Wednesday he was redistributing troops and predicted any pullout from the country would take at least two years.

Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, commanding general of the Multi-National Division – North and the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, said American forces could begin drawing down in the north by next year.

Mixon said Ninevah province would be closely monitored, as commanders in the region have said recently the area is becoming increasingly secure as compared to two years ago, when insurgents almost overran Mosul, the provincial capital.

As for future troop reductions, he said, they could come from the same area.

“If we begin to reduce the number of forces (in the north), most likely in Ninevah province, there would have to be an adjustment to the mission,” he said. “But I have to give my best advice based on the most current situation in MND – North on how I can continue to accomplish my mission and potentially, over time, reduce the forces. As I see it right now, we should be thinking about that for 2008 and 2009.”

Read the rest at Stars and Stripes

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