FACTBOX-The mechanics of the U.S. pullout from Iraq

Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:07am EDT

Aug 27 (Reuters) - The reduction in U.S. troop numbers in Iraq to 50,000 before President Barack Obama's Aug. 31 deadline has involved a logistical operation that U.S. commanders compare to major operations in World War Two.

Below are some facts and figures about the gradual U.S. withdrawal in Iraq:



KEY DATES OF 2008 BILATERAL SECURITY AGREEMENT:

* Dec. 31, 2011 - Full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq

* June 30, 2009 - U.S. withdrawal from Iraqi urban centres

* Jan. 1, 2009 - Return of sovereignty to Iraqi government; U.S. forces could no longer operate unilaterally and became beholden to Iraqi laws.



PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA'S PROMISED TIMELINE:

* Aug. 31, 2010 - End of U.S. combat operations

* Sept. 1, 2010 - U.S. troop numbers must be at 50,000



NAME CHANGE:

On Sept. 1, the U.S. military mission in Iraq changes its name from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn



TROOPS LEFT:

* U.S. military strength a few days before the end of combat operations fell to around 49,700. That level will be maintained through next summer, most likely, said the outgoing U.S. commander, General Raymond Odierno.

* The six remaining "advisory and assistance" brigades will focus on training and partnering Iraqi police and troops. There are around 4,500 U.S. special forces still in Iraq, who will continue to assist Iraqi troops in counter-terrorism operations.

* The troop levels compare to 167,000 U.S. soldiers at the height of the "surge" in 2007, plus several thousand from other countries like Britain.



WHAT HAS BEEN MOVED OUT:

* More than $1.25 billion worth of military equipment

* 120,000 soldiers

* 40,000 wheeled and tracked vehicles

* Over 1.5 million pieces of equipment just between June 2009 and August 2010

* More than 900,000 pieces of equipment worth in excess of $151 million, including vehicles and communication equipment, have been transferred to Iraqi security forces and ministries.

* More than 34 million pounds of "scrap" was got rid of over the past year

* More than 32 million pounds of toxic waste destroyed

* Nearly 180,000 pieces of equipment, including 17,000 pieces of what the U.S. military likes to call "rolling stock," such as armoured trucks and mine-clearing equipment, has been given to U.S. forces fighting a worsening war in Afghanistan.



HOW DID THEY GO:

* U.S. military convoys have rumbled south for months, mainly at night, down the spine of Iraq to Kuwait.

* Troops have largely been flown out in C-130 transport aircraft, also to Kuwait.



MILITARY BASES CLOSED OR TRANSFERRED

* 82 percent of U.S. military bases, which numbered more than 600 at one point, have been closed or transferred to the Iraqi government

* U.S. forces are now partnered with their Iraqi counterparts on 56 bases throughout Iraq. Sources: U.S. Forces - Iraq, U.S. Third Army (Reporting by Michael Christie and Khalid al-Ansary in Baghdad; Editing by Matthew Jones)

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