U.S. Army to keep big force in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. military has decided to keep an imposing troop presence in Baghdad to prevent the Iraqi capital from devolving again into widespread violence.

Troops are to be removed next year from outlying areas, rather than from Baghdad, which could give more power to Iraq's regional and local governments, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

The increasing competence of provincial security and political leaders will pressure the government in Baghdad to "breed a better central government," said Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson.

The change in strategy represents the military's challenge of how to reduce the number of soldiers without sacrificing security, the Times reported.

Present plans call for reducing troops that reached a peak of about 170,000 to about 135,000 during the next eight months, the Times reported.