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December 2, 2008 7:36:10 PM CST

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Petraeus: US Could Be Out of Baghdad by July '09

Posted Sep 3, 08 12:46 PM CDT in US,  World 

(Newser) – US troops could pull out of Baghdad by next summer if violence continues declining, David Petraeus told the Financial Times today. “Conditions permitting, yeah,” the top American general said when asked about a withdrawal by July 2009, adding that daily attacks in the capital have fallen dramatically enough that a handover to Iraqi troops was under consideration.

“The number of attacks in Baghdad lately has been, gosh, I think it’s probably less than five [a day] on average, and that’s a city of 7 million people,” said Petraeus, whose term as commander in Iraq comes to a close this month.

Source Financial Times (UK)

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Iraqi and US army soldiers walk down a field as smoke rises from a burned irrigation canal in Diyala province. US troops have pulled out of cities in 13 of Iraq's 18 provinces.   (AP Photo)
David Petraeus speaks to local leaders as he visits a marketplace north of Baghdad. Petraeus says US troops could pull out of Baghdad next summer.   (AP Photo)
A man passes by an US army soldier in Iraq's Diyala province earlier this month.   (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)
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There is certainly a degree of hope that was not present about 19 months ago. - David Petraeus, top US commander in Iraq

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