TIKRIT, Iraq — Seeking to lower the visibility of U.S. troops and grant more authority to Iraqi government forces, the American military has now ceded control of 27 of the nation's 109 bases, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.
Thousands of U.S. troops have been redeployed in recent months from bases in Najaf, Karbala, Tikrit and other cities, and Iraqis are now in charge of patrol areas that include four districts of Baghdad and the town of Taiji, northeast of the capital.
On Friday, American officials announced that the next major military installation expected to be transferred to Iraqi control was former President
Saddam Hussein's palace complex in Tikrit. The site has been renamed Forward Operating Base Danger and currently houses more than 6,000 U.S. troops.
Iraqi and U.S. officials said they had quickened the pace of such security transfers in recent weeks and planned to formalize what had been an ad hoc, piecemeal approach.
"We've already handed over nine different areas north of Baghdad as part of a national plan," said Robert Holby, a State Department official assigned to Tikrit. "We want to put an Iraqi face on things. Everybody thinks that if we move away from the cities, this will make the violence go down."
Iraqi and American officials involved in negotiating the hand-overs say they are a first, small step toward the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops. The current troop level in Iraq — 161,000 — is the highest of the war. The contingent was increased recently to prepare for the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum.
This means fewer of our troops will be in harms way. Plus, it's another step toward Iraqi independence. And the point about a lower-key U.S. presence resulting in less violence is one well made. It is one thing for the terrorists to attack the troops from the "great Satan" in the west. It is quite another for them to attack Iraqi citizens directly. Plus, however honest and sincere our motives, we are still seen as an occupying force. Putting Iraqi troops out front will give citizens in that country more of a "things are returning to normal" feeling.
Anyway, what an exciting time this is!
If everything remains on course our country will be able to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq, eventually leaving that country behind as a beacon for freedom and democracy, as well as a strong ally, in an oppressed region that has long been a threat to the international community.
President Bush, along with the stalwart and courageous members of our military, should get a lot of credit for this. They won't get it from all quarters, but don't ever think that they don't deserve it.