Iraq to ask US troops to stay, says nominee
Iraq will ask the US to keep troops in the country beyond the scheduled departure date at the end of the year, according to Leon Panetta, President Barack Obama’s choice to head the Defence Department.
At a Senate confirmation hearing on his nomination to replace Defence Secretary Robert Gates, the current CIA director took questions about wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya and whether financial pressures will mean deep defence cuts.
Mr Panetta said he expected Baghdad to ask for troops to stay beyond their scheduled December 31 departure. Currently 47,000 US troops are in Iraq but not in combat roles.