Dude, what happened to my quagmire?WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The US Marines will withdraw from Iraq in the spring of 2010, the commandant of the elite force said Thursday, signaling the end of a mission that once faced a fierce Sunni insurgency.
"We think that in the spring of 2010 we'll close the door and turned out the lights to Marine Corps presence in Iraq," said General James Conway in a speech at the National Press Club.
The date is in line with the schedule set by President Barack Obama, who in February ordered the withdrawal of all US combat troops from the country by the end of August 2010 with the rest of the force coming out by the end of 2011.
Conway said there are currently 16,000 marines in Iraq and that the reduction of the force would accelerate after legislative elections scheduled for January 2010.