Vice President Joe Biden said today the Iraqi government has “stepped up” with the training of a police force and that those Iraqi forces are “absolutely” ready to take over to allow for the major drawdown of U.S. combat troops this summer.
“Nobody that I’m aware of is worried about, not withstanding how long it takes to form a government, the security apparatus breaking down,” Biden told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell in an interview from Iraq. She is traveling with him on a surprise trip to meet with generals on the ground, a short visit that included a major explosion near the base where the group is staying. “That’s not a big deal, it happens,” Biden told Mitchell.
When Mitchell asked what happens if the Iraqi forces aren’t up to the task, Biden said the generals are feeling “confident,” the U.S. military can secure the region, especially since “50,000 troops is a lot of troops.”
Biden also defended the administration’s plan for Afghanistan, saying the surge of troops hasn’t even been concluded yet. He said he disagreed with a “manufactured notion that this is a rush to the exits.” He stressed, “This is not an endless encounter.”
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