The United States was set on Thursday to hand over formal command of Iraqi troops to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government, a significant step towards the withdrawal of some 150,000 U.S.-led foreign troops. The spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, U.S. Major General William Caldwell, said the importance of the handover on Thursday was "gigantic". Maliki, expects Iraqi forces to control most of the country's provinces by the end of the year, but analysts have questioned that timetable, according to a report of the Associated Press. Meanwhile, Two suicide car bombers killed 13 people and wounded 27 in Baghdad on Thursday, hours before General George Casey was due to hand over command of Iraqi troops. The first blast killed 10 people and wounded 17 near a petrol station allocated for police use. At least 14 cars were damaged as the blast ripped through nearby rush hour traffic. The second bomber attacked a police patrol in central Baghdad, killing three people. Two roadside bombs targeting police patrols killed one civilian and wounded four.
