Sovereignty Day in Iraq

Al-Awadi says critical comments about his force are residue from an earlier time. "There has been a bond developing between the civilians and Iraqi security forces that will help defeat terrorists," he said. His comments appeared to be borne out during a patrol through Saediyah, a south Baghdad district devastated by sectarian cleansing in 2006-2007. Blue-and-white national police Humvees festooned with colorful plastic flowers drove slowly through the dusty streets as residents waved and smiled.

Such reconciliation featured prominently in Maliki's National Sovereignty Day speech, in which he declared the U.S. withdrawal a "joint achievement of all Iraqis, worthy of their history and their great civilization and their sacrifices." He did not mention of American sacrifices. So far, 4,323 U.S. servicemen and women have died in Iraq, including four yesterday.

American troops have now settled into quarters away from the bases and camps they've long occupied. They leave behind small contingents to train and advise the newly ascendant Iraqi security forces. Odierno calls the new supporting role "a change in mindset" that commanders and rank and file are adapting to. This pullout is to be followed by the removal of all combat forces next August and complete withdrawal of U.S. forces by the end of 2011.

Odierno says he is confident this is the right time to make the switch in cities. He also says he expects the attacks of the last two weeks, which he attributes to Al Qaeda in Iraq and Shia militias, to continue. As if on cue, terrorists exploded a car bomb Tuesday in the northern disputed city of Kirkuk, killing 30 people. The attack came just hours after the Americans withdrew. The hope now is that such attacks don't multiply and intensify to the point where Iraq has to call back the cavalry after all.

With Hussam Ali, Sa’ad Al-Izzi And Salih Mehdi

© 2009