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Ray Odierno, expressed general commander of U.S. forces, General Ray Odierno, expressed confidence that Iraqis are going to make progress on forming a government before the first of the month of September, but he stressed that this was not a motive to change the timetable for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

Odierno said U.S. troop levels there is nothing to do with the formation of the Iraqi government, but is linked to the ability of Iraqi security forces to maintain the stability of the country.

He said the U.S. strategy on support for Iraq is not about the number of U.S. troops and there is a plan for after the first of next September to do so. The former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, had announced earlier that the United States will remain on the battlefield in Iraq until a long time.