By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : Head of the Multi-National Force (MNF) in Iraq General David Petraeus has said that improvement in security conditions in Iraq surpassed expectations, but still pointed out militants are still filtering in from Syria.
The general said security is improving on all levels, and added last week was the fourth lowest in attacks since October 2004.
He said that he will consider Iraqi civilian deaths in formulating his recommendations which are to be presented to the US president and Congress in April.
The command has already drawn down a brigade combat team and a Marine expeditionary unit, he said, and another brigade combat team will leave the country this month. “Obviously, as we draw down, (the Iraqis) have to pick up more of the responsibility, and that is the case,” Petraeus said in remarks to journalists during a local tour by a senior US military general Tuesday.
“We are going after Al-Qaeda relentlessly wherever they are, and wherever we can find them, we put our teeth into their jugular,” Petraeus said. “Al Qaeda is incredibly resilient,” he said, “and they are receiving people and supplies through Syria … although numbers through Syria are down as much as 50 per cent.”
As for course of action, the top official said, “The key is to hang on to what you’ve got … you cannot, in your eagerness to go after something new, start to play Whack-a-mole again. You have to hang onto the areas you’ve cleared; you have to have that plan to do before you go.”
He further cautioned a rise of Al-Qaeda, saying “Al-Qaeda is trying to come back in … we can feel it and see it, and what we’re trying to do is rip out any roots before they can get deeply into the ground.”