End to Iraq Mission in Sight

The U.S. is on track to end the main thrust of its combat mission in Iraq, Vice President Biden said while visiting troops there during the July 4th weekend. Tempering that optimism, however, are concerns that Iraq has yet to adopt a permanent government. "We would like to see … a government as expeditiously as possible," a U.S. official said on background. Current U.S. strength in Iraq is pegged at roughly 82,000 troops, down from a high of 165,000 during the 2008 surge. The number of U.S. forces there will likely settle at around 50,000 by summer’s end, with all troops gone by December 2011.