The Iraqi national military and police forces made equipment purchases and concluded training programs in 2008, setting the stage for operations in the post-U.N. mandate environment.

The U.N. mandate for multinational forces in Iraq expired Dec. 31, paving the way for a full withdrawal of foreign combat forces in the coming years.

The 2nd squadron in the Iraqi air force is combining facilities in Kirkuk at the end of January. The 2nd squadron received additional shipments of the Bell206 Jet Ranger observation helicopter in early December and may coordinate with the 12th squadron to form an independent unit, an assessment of government documents by the independent Long War Journal suggests.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense is vetting the M1126 infantry carrier vehicle, the LAV-25 amphibious armored personnel carrier and the M1117 guardian armored security vehicle for possible use in the Iraqi army.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry, for its part, is progressing in its recruitment efforts, with an additional 1,500 forces coming from a division in Mosul.