Iraqi forces ready, top US general says

“I do believe they’re ready,’’ Odierno said from Baghdad on CNN’s “State of the Union.’’ “They’ve been working toward this for a long time. And security remains good.’’

American troop strength is scheduled to stay at roughly 130,000 until September, with most of the forces living in operating bases away from cities, military officials say. The Iraqis will be able to call on American support if needed.

Odierno, who also appeared on “Fox News Sunday,’’ said that he had seen “constant improvement’’ in the security force and governance in the region despite some large attacks last week.

Just four days after the Americans closed their outpost in the Shi’ite district of Sadr City in Baghdad, a bomb killed at least 76 people in a market on Wednesday.

The deadline for the pullout from cities has concerned some Iraqi officers and provoked uncertainty among Iraqis.

Brigadier General Mahmoud Muhsen, a commander with the First Division of the Iraqi National Police, has said that sectarian violence could return after the Americans leave. He also warned that Iraq’s borders were still porous, allowing more foreign fighters to enter.

Odierno said that if Iraqi forces sought help after the deadline, any responses would be coordinated within the bounds of the US-Iraq security agreement. “We agreed to abide by Iraqi sovereignty,’’ Odierno said on CNN. “So everything that we do today is transparent.’’

Nouri Kamal al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, has called the withdrawal of American troops from cities a “great victory,’’ a repulsion of foreign occupiers. However, Odierno said he did not agree.

“That’s not exactly how I read it,’’ he said on “Fox News Sunday.’’ “They’re seeing it as a progression in their capacities, and I think that’s the important point.’’