Our forces capable: Iraq

Baghdad: Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki told Iraqis on Tuesday their own soldiers and police were up to the job as U.S. forces ended a combat role after seven years of fighting that has cost thousands of lives.

A major troop pullout over past months has left less than 50,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq while a simultaneous surge in car bombings and shootings, many targeting local security forces, has raised security concerns.

U.S. President Barack Obama was to mark the symbolic end of combat operations in a speech after visiting a base in Texas where he was to meet returned Iraq veterans.

He was also expected to speak by telephone with the former President, George W. Bush who, backed by key ally Britain, took the decision to invade Iraq in March 2003, ousting Saddam Hussein within weeks.

Mr. Maliki said on state television that Iraq was a “sovereign and independent” state and he was confident the last U.S. forces would leave the country as planned at the end of 2011. “I reassure you that the Iraqi security forces are capable of taking full responsibility,” he said.

“Unfortunately we are facing a campaign of doubt.”

U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden landed in Baghdad on Monday night to mark the American military's change of mission from combat to training and advisory tasks in support of Iraqi forces, starting from Wednesday.

More than 4,400 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since the invasion, compared to 100,000 civilians who have been killed, according to Iraq Body Count. - AFP