APNewsBreak: US drops plans to keep troops in Iraq (AP)

<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111015/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_us_troops"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20111015/capt.9f2154d91cc74adda04dfe643a471773-9f2154d91cc74adda04dfe643a471773-0.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=00eey08EqRptRDPh_Cl6TQ--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="A U.S. army soldier walks past military Humvees which are ready to be shipped out of Iraq at a staging yard at Camp Sather, part of the sprawling U.S. military Victory Base Complex that is set to close in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. The U.S. has promised to withdraw from Iraq by the end of the year as required by a 2008 security agreement between Washington and Baghdad. Some 41,000 U.S. troops are scheduled to clear out along with their equipment. It's still unclear if the U.S. military will keep several thousand troops in Iraq as leaders weigh whether staunch political opposition in both nations is worth the risk. The uncertainty has been a logistical nightmare for American commanders, who could be asked at the last minute to keep some equipment and manpower back but for now must push ahead in case the withdrawal plan stands. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)" border="0" /></a>AP - The U.S. is abandoning plans to keep U.S. troops in Iraq past a year-end withdrawal deadline, The Associated Press has learned. The decision to pull out fully by January will effectively end more than eight years of U.S. involvement in the Iraq war, despite ongoing concerns about its security forces and the potential for instability.</p><br clear="all"/>

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