BAGHDAD —

A fresh U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq was underway on Tuesday amid diplomatic and political moves to stem violence fueled by alleged Iranian groups and to reduce deadly street battles.

Another American soldier was killed, raising to 4,072 the number of U.S. troops killed since the March 2003 invasion.

The military announced it was taking back troopers deployed as part of a controversial “surge” 14 months ago. They will complete a return to their base at Fort Benning, Georgia over the next several weeks.

One third of the 3,500 troops have already left and the others are on their way, spokesman Major Winfield Danielson said.

The pullout is in line with U.S. President George W Bush’s plan announced in September to complete the withdrawal of the 30,000 extra troops he poured in last year to curb an increase in sectarian violence in Iraq.

Washington wants to complete the withdrawal of the 30,000 troops by July and have a 45-day evaluation period before considering overall force levels.

At least 167 US troops have been killed this year out of the 4,072 who have died since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion, according to the independent icasualties.org website.

The U.S. and its allies have 168,000 troops currently deployed in Iraq.

On the political front, an Iraqi lawmaker whose party is loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, resigned on Tuesday protesting the violence in Baghdad’s Sadr City where street battles claim a daily death toll.

“I announce the suspension of my membership in protest at what is happening in Sadr city,” Hassan Al-Rubaie said. “The religious and political leaderships in Iraq are responsible for the violations that happen in Sadr City.”

He acted even as President Jalal Talabani made a fresh appeal to the militia to lay down its arms and allow essential supplies to get into the Sadr City, parliamentary officials said.

U.S. troops are using tanks and aircraft to attack suspected militia positions in the impoverished district of Sadr City, home to some two million people. Hundreds have been killed since the fighting broke out in late March.

News of the latest U.S. withdrawal came as Iraq moved to mend fences with its former enemy Iran, even as Washington accused Tehran-linked groups of providing support for Shiite militia fighting Americans in Baghdad.

On Tuesday, Iraqi officials said at least another four people were killed and 12 wounded in overnight clashes in Sadr City.

U.S. commanders charge that the militiamen they are fighting in Sadr City are using rockets and bombs supplied by Iranian groups.

The accusations have threatened to derail a planned fourth round of talks between representatives of Washington, Tehran and Baghdad on the situation in Iraq.

On Sunday, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Baghdad was forming a panel to search for the evidence to “document any Iranian intervention in Iraqi affairs.”

Meanwhile, another three people were killed and 10 wounded when mortar bombs slammed into a municipality building in central Baghdad, Iraqi security officials said.

In Diyala province, north of the capital, a pro-U.S. tribal chief and three members of his family were kidnapped by suspected al-Qaida gunmen. The abductions came after 10 Iraqi soldiers were killed on Monday in the same region, one of the most violent in Iraq.

A car bomb attack killed two people and wounded 28 in Tikrit, the hometown of the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, local officials said.

AFP

10 Comments

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  rjd_jr at 12:29 PM JST - 7th May

  3500 is too little.

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  pathat at 01:12 PM JST - 7th May

  There will be a new surge after John McCain becomes president next January.

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  adaydream at 01:27 PM JST - 7th May

  It's amazing how we're still in Iraq after so many years, so many military operations and so many different military commanders.

  We're at the end of bringing home the last of the surge increases. The militias knew that they could relax for a while till the surge was over and then they could take the opportunity to re-attack after the arsenals are refilled and arms are passed all around.

  Now the surge is over with and we're exactly where we were before it started. Are the petroleum rights split? Is the parliment passing laws and being a parliment for governing the country or being a bunch of asses?

  Is the Iraqi Army ready to take over? Are the Iraq Police ready to take control to their streets?

  The only thing we've succeeded in doing is extending the war another year.

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  rjd_jr at 02:17 PM JST - 7th May

  Have patience adaydream, just give it some more time to work. Rome wasn't built in a day. Or something...

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  Madverts at 04:57 PM JST - 7th May

  "There will be a new surge after John McCain becomes president next January."

  Heh, yeah, and the surge is "working".

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  amerijap at 05:06 PM JST - 7th May

  It's too small a number if they are really planning to withdraw the troops. I'm not gonna buy this, because the US government has relocated their units and sent newly recruited troops several times. And, I reckon that the withdrawed troops will be ordered to get back to the combat zone after a year or two.

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  super delegate at 05:21 PM JST - 7th May

  Lefties here need to get with the program. Insist that this drawdown is the result of the tireless efforts of your brave leaders, Nan from San Fran and the Dem - controlled Congress.

  "See, more than just symbolic resolutions!"

• 

  adaydream at 09:35 PM JST - 7th May

  So how long do we stay in Iraq?

• 

  SushiSake3 at 03:22 PM JST - 8th May

  adaydream, SuperLib won't have any answers.

• 

  Sarge at 04:16 PM JST - 8th May

  "So how long do we stay in Iraq?"

  As long as necessary. My estimate: 4 years, 8 months, 19 days, 20 minutes and 43 seconds.

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