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01/13/2005:

"Powell Sees Troops Returning this Year"

WASHINGTON - American troops will begin leaving Iraq (news - web sites) this year as the Iraqi army, national guard and police force take on a larger security role, says Secretary of State Colin Powell.

"But I cannot give you a timeline when they will all be home," Powell told National Public Radio in an interview released Wednesday by the State Department.

There are some 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, many of them under fire, and casualties have been mounting.

Powell also ruled out any U.S. move to postpone elections scheduled Jan. 30 in Iraq to choose an interim legislative assembly.

The interim government in Baghdad and the Iraqi election commission want to move ahead with the election and so do the people, Powell said in the interview, which was conducted on Tuesday.

"We cannot delay the election because there are terrorists and murderers and former regime elements who are trying to keep that election from happening, to delay it," he said.

Full Article: news.yahoo.com

Well we know someone who will be going home on January 2oth of this year- Secretary Powell. He keeps talking about 'former regime elements' as if we don't know Saddam's Republican Guards (and Kurds-which will lead to years of mess) form the backbone of this security force of theirs.