White House: String of bombings in Iraq not expected to alter plans for US troop withdrawals
By APTuesday, April 6, 2010
White House: Iraq troop withdrawal plan unchanged
WASHINGTON — The White House says a deadly spike in violence in Iraq is not expected to alter U.S. plans to withdraw combat forces this year.
A series of bombs across Baghdad on Tuesday killed at least 49 people and injured more than 160 people. It was part of a string of attacks in recent days.
Authorities blame al-Qaida insurgents who are seizing on a power vacuum since a March 7 parliamentary election failed to produce a clear winner.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. military official in Iraq, does not believe the violence threatens the ability of the U.S. military to draw down its forces this year.
U.S. commanders plan to end combat operations on Aug. 31 and withdraw all forces by the end of 2011.
