Marine commander says Iraq pullout in 16 months is 'doable'

Marine Maj. Gen. John Kelly, who just completed a yearlong assignment as the top commander in western Iraq, said Tuesday he believes the Iraqi people "have made a commitment to government over violence" and that President Obama's proposal to withdraw most combat forces in 16 months "is very doable" in most of the country.

Kelly, who was commander of Multi-National Forces West and deputy commander of the I Marine Expeditionary Force, said the war in Iraq would go on, but as "a war to establish a lasting democracy."

Kelly, who has done three tours in Iraq since 2003, conceded Iraq may never have an American-style democracy. But the general, speaking at a defense writers' breakfast, said he believes that even the Sunni leaders in Anbar province, once considered the heart of the anti-American insurgency, were committed to settling differences politically rather than resorting to violence.

He said that the Iraqi army and police had assumed virtually total responsibility for security in the previously volatile region, describing the level of violence there as "meaningless."

Although withdrawing U.S. forces too rapidly poses some danger, Kelly said, leaving too slowly would prevent Iraqi security forces from taking control. He noted that he deliberately removed his forces from major cities to force Iraqi security forces to step up -- and it worked. The general also said he stopped spending U.S. money on infrastructure to force the Iraqi government to take on that responsibility.

Kelly cautioned that it would not be possible simply to transfer tactics and concepts from Iraq to Afghanistan. Nonetheless, he argued that the key to improving security in both countries was to increase contact with the people, rather than simply focusing on killing insurgents.