Odierno Tells Senate U.S. Military Headed in Right Direction in Iraq

The United States “is not out of the woods yet” in Iraq, but the nation is headed in the right direction, the man nominated to be the next Multinational Force Iraq commander said today.

Odierno, who served as Multinational Corps Iraq commander until October 2007, said Iraq has made significant progress, specifically over the past 18 months. “I believe a self-reliant government of Iraq that is stable, one that is committed to governance and protecting its own people and serving all its people, a place that's denied as a safe haven for terrorists and extremists and one that is integrated into the international community and a partner of the war on terror is absolutely possible in Iraq,” he said. “And I think it's closer today than it has been.”

Odierno told the senators that he would not make sweeping pronouncements about Iraq, but he did say that, generally, the increased capability of the Iraqi security forces has been extremely important to progress here.

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