Iraqis Capable of Responding to Insurgent Attacks

By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2012 - The insurgent violence that left at least 100 people dead across Iraq yesterday poses a potential challenge to the Baghdad government, but U.S. defense officials believe Iraq's military is capable of handling it, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters today.

"We believe that the Iraqi government is capable of providing for its own security and addressing internal threats that it is facing from al-Qaida and other groups," Little told reporters at a news conference, while condemning what he called cowardly, intolerable acts.

He spoke a day after what was described as one of the worst single days of violence in Iraq this year. The Sunni extremist group al-Qaida in Iraq claimed responsibility for a series of attacks across a wide swath of the country, more than six months after the last U.S. troops left Iraq.

"The level of violence is a potential challenge to the Iraqi government, but we're confident that they can take care of business," Little added.