Fewer Troops Needed in West Iraq Province

WASHINGTON | Security in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, where a brutal insurgency once ruled, has improved so drastically that the U.S. is about to return it to Iraqi control - opening the door to possible further cuts in U.S. troop levels, officials said Wednesday.

The developments in Anbar take on added importance as the Pentagon contemplates sending more combat troops to Afghanistan, where security has deteriorated. The diverging trends make it likely that a U.S. buildup in Afghanistan will follow a drawdown in Iraq.

A ceremony marking the Anbar turnover is expected to be held Monday, several U.S. and Iraqi officials said. Anbar would be the 10th of Iraq's 18 provinces to be returned to Iraqi government control - a step toward phasing out the American combat role as Iraqi security forces grow more competent.