U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday he sees «some chance of a modest acceleration» in the pace of U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. Gates, returning from a trip to Iraq, told reporters aboard his plane that perhaps one combat brigade would come out of Iraq ahead of schedule. He did not give a precise timetable, The Associated Press reported. Gates said that Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. general in Iraq, told him that the security situation there is going better than expected. President Barack Obama has announced plans to withdraw American combat forces from Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, leaving 30,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops in advising and training roles until the end of 2011.
