RUMSFELD: IRAQ TO BOOST SECURITY FORCE
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Tuesday Iraq was expected to build up its security force beyond the goal of 325,000, as high levels of violence persist in the country.
With training of Iraqi security forces crucial to U.S. hopes of reducing its own troops in Iraq, Rumsfeld said he had received recommendations to boost the size and speed up training of the forces from Iraq’s government and Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in the country.
“I’m very comfortable with the increases they’ve proposed and the accelerations in achievement of some of their targets that they’ve proposed… and I understand that the Iraqi government is,” Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon.
“Now it’s simply a matter of our pressing forward and getting our portion of the funding from the Congress and working to see that it’s executed.”
Filed: Congress, Iraq, Middle East, Pentagon, Rumsfeld
