U.S. general says time right to withdraw from Iraqi cities

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. commander in Iraq said on Sunday the time is right for American forces to pull out of Iraqi cities and expressed confidence in the ability of Iraq's security forces to take more control.

U.S. troops already were out of the Iraq's cities before Tuesday's deadline after slowly withdrawing over the last eight months and "overall stability in Iraq remains good," General Ray Odierno said on "FOX News Sunday."

The U.S. pull-out from Iraqi cities is a major step as, six years after the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, the United States increasingly turns over control to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite Muslim-led government.

The handover falls under a security pact that requires U.S. forces to withdraw completely by 2012.

"From a military and security standpoint it's time for us to move out of the cities," Odierno said in another interview on CNN's "State of the Union."

U.S. forces will "still be conducting significant operations outside of the cities, in the belts of the major cities, and I still believe this will enable us to maintain the current security and stability situation here in Iraq," Odierno said on CNN.

Violence in Iraq has declined over the past year, but tensions have risen in recent days with a spate of deadly bombings leading up to the June 30 deadline.

"I think there are some extremist elements who are trying to bring attention to their movement that's been fractured," Odierno said on CNN of the bombings.

"They're trying to use this time frame and this date to first gain attention for themselves and also to divert attention from the success of the Iraqi security forces."

Odierno said he has seen less interference from Iran, which is often accused of arming and funding Shi'ite militias in Iraq, and attributed that to the improved capability of Iraq's security forces.

Asked if there were concerns Iran would try to fill in a gap after U.S. forces leave, Odierno said on FOX, "My assessment here is that Iraqis want to control their own destiny. They don't want anybody else filling that gap."

He said he had more confidence than ever in the Iraqi security forces and believed the United States would be able to keep "the situational awareness" needed to protect U.S. forces as it turns over more security responsibility to Iraq.

(Reporting by Vicki Allen; editing by Chris Wilson)