US commander in Iraq wants troops in disputed land

The top U.S. commander in Iraq said Monday that he wants to deploy American soldiers to disputed territories in northern Iraq following a recent spike in bombings there. The move would be a departure from the security pact that called for Americans to pull back from populated areas on June 30. The U.S. soldiers would partner with Iraqi government and Kurdish troops to secure the largely unguarded villages along the faultline of land disputed between Arabs and Kurds, Gen. Ray Odierno said. He stressed that no final decision has been made but said Iraqi and Kurdish leaders were receptive to the idea. "I think they just all feel more comfortable if we're there," he told reporters Monday at a briefing at Camp Victory, the U.S. military headquarters on Baghdad's western outskirts. The U.S. deployment would be a temporary "confidence-building" measure, he said, adding he had discussed the idea with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki earlier Monday in a meeting.