BAGHDAD, Sept 7: The United States on Thursday handed over formal command of the Iraqi army to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s government, a significant step to withdrawal of about 150,000 US-led foreign troops.
Hours before the handover, 14 people were killed in a spate of bomb blasts targeting Iraqi security forces in Baghdad.
“This is the message I have for the terrorists: We will see that you get great punishment wherever you are. There is nothing for you but prison and punishment,” Mr Maliki said at a ceremony at the Defence Ministry in Baghdad.
Mr Maliki expects Iraqi forces to control most of the country’s provinces by the end of the year, but analysts have questioned the timetable.
Iraqi security forces remain heavily dependent on US troops for logistical support to combat an insurgency and sectarian violence.—Reuters
