Pentagon may need till Nov. for full Iraq review

[Barrett808]

Source: Reuters

Pentagon may need till Nov. for full Iraq review
By David Morgan

WASHINGTON, July 19 (Reuters) - A September report on President George W. Bush's strategy in Iraq will show whether the plan is progressing, but a fuller assessment will take until November, a top U.S. commander said on Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, deputy U.S. commander in Iraq, told reporters at the Pentagon that trends in the war-torn country have begun moving "in the right direction" since Bush's troop buildup became complete in mid-June.

"Forty-five days from now, September 1 ... I'll be able to make a bit more accurate assessment if it's something we think is going to continue or something we think is just a blip," he said in a video link from Baghdad.

"In order to do a good assessment, I need at least till November to do that," Odierno added.

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