Gates: U.S. Air Force likely to stay Iraq

KIRKUK, Iraq, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force is likely to remain in Iraq after 2011, when its forces are scheduled to pull out, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.

Gates held a town-hall meeting at Forward Operating Base Warrior near Kirkuk in northern Iraq, Voice of America reported. He answered a question on future deployments from one of several hundred soldiers who attended the 45-minute meeting.

The defense secretary said plans are on schedule to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq from 120,000 to 50,000 by October 2010 and to complete the withdrawal by December 2011. Then, he said the Air Force is likely to remain after U.S. ground combat operations are over.

"I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see agreements between ourselves and the Iraqis that continues a train, equip and advise role beyond the end of 2011," he said. "They realize that they're probably not going to be ready."

Gates said he had discussed Iraqi military equipment and training with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki earlier in the day and said the Iraqis "clearly have some concerns."

The Air Force might also stay in Afghanistan after ground troops leave, Gates added.