Washington: Vice President Joe Biden says "we're not claiming victory" in Iraq, but he believes the emerging government in Baghdad is capable of defending itself.
Interviewed on NBC's "Today" show from Iraq, Biden was asked about the impact of the US combat troop withdrawal, likely to be complete within weeks. He replied, "This is no rush."
Biden adds that in the three years of the Obama administration, "We've done this in a way that nobody thought could be done."
He acknowledges security concerns — dramatized by marketplace car bombing Thursday — but said "violence is at an all-time low."
Biden says, "What we're claiming here is, we've done the job the administration said it would do. To end a war we did not start, to end it in a responsible way."
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, December 01, 2011, 18:44