Iraq to Plan Military Transfer Iraqis Push to Meet Constitution

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 1 - As Iraqi leaders on Monday reaffirmed their decision to finish writing the country's constitution by the middle of the month, the American ambassador here publicly outlined the process for a gradual American troop withdrawal. Speaking in his first news conference here, the new ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, said the American military would hand over control of specific areas to Iraqi forces and "withdraw its own units from these areas." He declined to say which Iraqi cities American soldiers would leave first but said he had formed a committee with Iraqi leaders to draw up a detailed withdrawal plan. "After this transfer occurs in more and more areas, there will be a smaller need for coalition forces, and elements of the multinational forces will leave Iraq," the ambassador said. Iraqi forces have been given sole control over very few areas of the country. A recent report prepared by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld concluded that only a small percentage of Iraqi military units were capable of fighting on their own. Mr. Khalilzad's remarks were a public reminder to Iraqis that the Bush administration is moving ahead with plans to reduce the number of foreign troops here. And they were the latest demonstration of the highly visible role that he has played in the weeks since his arrival. Before then, Mr. Khalilzad was the ambassador to Afghanistan, where he was deeply engaged in the affairs of the country. He seems to be bringing that philosophy to Iraq as well, departing from American officials' recent custom of staying in the background while Iraqis increasingly take the lead. He played an active part in pushing Iraqi leaders toward their decision on Sunday to stick to an Aug. 15 deadline for drafting a new constitution, urging them to set aside any issues that could not be resolved by that date. The Bush administration has been keen to keep the democratic process here on track, as a means to drain anger from the insurgency and also to help set the conditions for an American troop draw-down. In another appearance on Monday, Mr. Khalilzad urged the members of the constitutional drafting committee to set aside their differences and strike a deal. "I encourage them to move forward in a spirit of compromise, flexibility and good will," he said in a speech before Iraq's National Assembly. Sectarian violence continued to punctuate the country's political tensions. Eleven bodies were found in southwest Baghdad on Monday, most shot but two beheaded. Their identities were not immediately clear, though the men were of varying ages and many had the long beards worn by conservative Muslims. One weeping relative of a victim was photographed holding the decapitated head of a man as it lay on the back of a flatbed truck, according to Reuters. Read More