The top U.S. commander in Iraq said Monday that he remains «absolutely committed» to pulling back all combat troops from urban areas by the end of the month, as provided for in a U.S.-Iraqi security agreement, AP reported. Gen. Ray Odierno said a limited number of advisers and trainers will remain in the cities to work with Iraqi security forces, leaving unanswered questions about how many U.S. troops would remain and where they would be located. «We will not get into any specific numbers, but it is a very small number,» Odierno told a joint news conference with key Iraqi officials. Odierno said the pull back of combat troops would also extend to the northern city of Mosul, where Sunni insurgents still pose a threat. Earlier this year, he said Mosul might be one of the cities where combat troops might remain. Odierno said violence and tensions in Mosul have declined. Under the Iraqi-U.S. security pact, American combat troops must withdraw by June 30 with all U.S. forces out of the country by the end of 2011. President Barack Obama has said all combat troops will leave Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, leaving up to 50,000 troops in training and advising roles.
