"By Tuesday, all but a small number of American soldiers will have left Baghdad and other urban areas, handing over security to Iraqi soldiers and police still largely untested as an independent fighting force."

A couple of concerns. One, I don't hear of a lot of US troops coming home. They must be heading off to the US permanent bases, or simply withdrawing into strongpoints within the cities.

Second, the US has been "training" these people for years and years. Not only that, but there was a police force and army in place when we invaded which only needed new leadership. Invading Iraq was the biggest mistake, and then disbanding the army and police forces. How much "training" does it take, how much can they absorb? I swear the lowliest private could have Ph. D.s in Police Science or Military Studies by now.

As far as "untested" goes, we've been reading for years how the Iraqis have absorbed the brunt of the fighting, with US forces as backup.

I guess another concern is the level of support from other countries. I don't hear of a "coalition" any more.

Arf