Last U.S. combat brigade leaves Iraq, combat mission ends Aug. 31

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2010 (Xinhua) --

The last U.S. combat brigade in Iraq has crossed into Kuwait, leaving Iraq ahead of the August 31 deadline, NBC news reported on Wednesday night.

TV footage showed a convoy from the 4th Stryker Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division crossing the Iraq-Kuwait border. The last vehicle traversed the border at about 3:53 a.m. Thursday local time and the border gate closed behind it.

The 4th Stryker Brigade reportedly has about 4,000 troops. CNN said after it leaves Iraq, there would be two other combat brigade inside Iraq, but they are in a transition process to become non-combat units, and would take on responsibilities of training Iraqi troops.

However, U.S. media quoted unnamed administration officials as saying the completion of withdrawal doesn't mean the end of combat mission. U.S. combat mission will end in Iraq on August 31 as scheduled.

U.S. President Barack Obama has set the end of August as the deadline to end combat operations in Iraq. Washington said that about 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq to conduct support and training missions.

In a letter posted Wednesday on the White House website, Obama hailed the end of combat operations, but didn't mention the last combat troops out of Iraq on the same day.

"I'm pleased to report that... our combat mission will end this month, and we will complete a substantial drawdown of our troops," Obama said.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told MSNBC the end of combat operations is a "historic moment." The U.S. mission in Iraq will be transformed into a mainly diplomatic one as combat troops leaves.

"We're not ending our involvement in Iraq. We will have important work to do. This is a transition. This is not the end of something. It's a transition to something different. We have a long-term commitment to Iraq," said Crowley.

When Obama took office last year, there were about 144,000 U.S. troops inside Iraq. After he decided to pull troops out of that country and send more soldiers to Afghanistan, about 90,000 troops have been withdrawn from Iraq.

U.S. combat troops leave Iraq

August 19, 2010 - 09:48:42

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

The U.S. military is holding steady in its aim to reduce troop numbers in Iraq to 50,000 by Aug. 31, according to Voice of America (VOA).

The last U.S. brigade officially classed as a combat unit formally handed over responsibilities to its Iraqi counterparts on Aug. 7, but U.S. troops have been steadily flowing out of the country on transport aircraft and by road for a year.

“My personal experience is it was worth it. We paid a huge cost,” said Staff Sergeant Christopher Hush from the First Battalion of the 116th Infantry regiment which pulled out to Kuwait earlier this week.

U.S. media said on Wednesday the last U.S. combat troops had left Iraq, but U.S. officials clarified there were still 56,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq, so the reduction to 50,000 non-combat troops by Sept. 1 promised by President Barack Obama still has a some way to go.

U.S. forces hand over Thi-Qar base to Iraqi government

August 19, 2010 - 08:15:18

THI-QAR / Aswat al-Iraq:

The U.S. military base in Thi-Qar was handed over to the Iraqi government, a media spokesman of the U.S. troops said on Thursday.

“The forces handed over the base in southern Nassiriya to the Iraqi government on August 9, but the announcement was postponed due to security reasons,” Major Alan Brown told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The number of the U.S. troops have decreased after handing over the base as the forces moved to al-Talil base to complete their mission,” he explained.

There are around 4000 U.S. soldiers in the al-Talil base, southwestern Nassiriya, to support Iraqi forces and to set up some civilian projects within the reconstruction team.

Nassiriya, the capital of Thi-Qar, lies 380 km south of Baghdad.

SH (P)

U.S. forces arrest gunman in Kirkuk

August 18, 2010 - 01:25:23

KIRKUK / Aswat al-Iraq:

U.S. forces on Wednesday arrested a gunman while planting a bomb in the southwest of Kirkuk, according to a source from the joint coordination center in Kirkuk.

“U.S. forces detained early Wednesday (Aug. 18) a gunman while planting a bomb on the al-Menzala-al-Mansouriya road in al-Huweija district, southwest of Kirkuk,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency, noting that the forces detonated the bomb without damage.

He did not give more details.

Kirkuk is 250 km northeast of Baghdad.

SH (P)/SR

Roadside bomb kills, wounds 3 cops in Ramadi

August 19, 2010 - 10:02:20

ANBAR / Aswat al-Iraq:

A policeman was killed and two more were wounded in a roadside bomb explosion in northern Ramadi on Thursday, a police source said.

“The bomb exploded in 5 Kilometer region, northern Ramadi, targeting a police vehicle patrol,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The blast killed a policeman and injured two others and damaged the car,” he added.

Ramadi, the capital of Anbar, lies 110 km west of Baghdad.

SH (P)

Cop killed by sticky bomb in Falluja

August 19, 2010 - 09:19:20

ANBAR / Aswat al-Iraq:

A policeman was killed on Thursday by a sticky bomb in eastern Falluja, a police source said,

“A bomb, stuck to the cop’s vehicle, went off on the Baghdad-Falluja road near the Cement Factory in eastern Falluja, killing him instantly,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency, noting that the blast caused material damage to the car.

Falluja, Anbar province, is 45 km west of Baghdad, while Ramadi, the capital of Anbar, lies 110 km west of the Iraqi capital.

SH (P)

Sahwa fighter killed, 2 wounded in Baghdad

August 19, 2010 - 07:08:15

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

A Sahwa fighter was killed and two more were wounded in an armed attacked late Wednesday in southeastern Baghdad, a police source said.

“Unknown gunmen launched an armed attack on a Sahwa checkpoint in al-Madaen region, southeastern Baghdad, killing a Sahwa element and injuring two others and fled to unknown place,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

SH (P)

2 security elements killed, 5 wounded in southern Ramadi

August 18, 2010 - 03:33:53

ANBAR / Aswat al-Iraq:

 Two security elements were killed from the emergency forces and three others were wounded in a bomb explosion in southern Ramadi, a police source said on Wednesday.

“The bomb, planted by unknown gunmen, went off near an emergency police checkpoint in central al-Taamim region, southern Ramadi,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The explosion killed two elements and injured three,” he added, without giving further details.

Ramadi, the capital of Anbar, lies 110 km west of Baghdad.

SH (P)/SR

2 killed, 2 injured in blast in Tikrit

August 18, 2010 - 08:25:56

SALAH AL-DIN / Aswat al-Iraq: A roadside bomb went off on Wednesday at the gate of the Tikrit Central Court, killing two persons and wounding two others.

“A policeman is among the two dead,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

He noted that the two injuries were admitted to a nearby hospital.

Tikrit, the capital city of Salah al-Din province, lies 175 km north of Baghdad.

MH (P)/SR

Gunmen kill 3 brothers in Saadiya

August 18, 2010 - 08:25:06

DIALA / Aswat al-Iraq:

An armed group on Wednesday dawn killed three brothers then planted roadside bombs on the road to the victims’ house in the al-Saadiya district, northeast of Baaquba city.

“The armed group belongs to the al-Qaida organization,” an official source from the al-Saadiya told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

He noted that the three brothers are from the Rabeaa tribe in the al-Saadiya, 155 km northeast of Baaquba.

“The gunmen opened fire on the three brothers leaving them dead,” the source added.

He explained that the armed men planted roadside bombs on the way leading to the brothers’ house, after they killed them to trap security forces.

The source did not mention further details.

Baaquba, the capital city of Diala province, lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad.

MH (P)/SR