US to cut Iraq troop levels; Maintain 50,000

As the March 7th parliamentary ballot in Iraq approaches, the US Defense Department says the Pentagon would slow troop withdrawal only if there were a serious deterioration in security conditions.

A reduction in violence last year has raised hopes of a smooth transition as US forces draw down. Complete withdrawal is due by the end of 2011. The top US military commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, says he still expects to reduce troop levels by about half to 50 thousand by the end of August. But he also signals he may slow the pace of withdrawal if the situation deteriorates after March elections, a scenario he does not expect to see.

US troops train Iraqi and Kurdish soldiers during a military  exercise in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.