to protect the civilians in a country that is still home to insurgents with al qaeda and iranian - backed militias , the state department is planning to more than double its private security guards , up to as many as 7,000 , according to administration officials who disclosed new details of the plan .
advertisement advertisement " we are sitting around 55k and will be down to 50k by 1 september , " the official wrote in an e - mail to fox news .
obama , who had imposed an end - of - the - month deadline for the pullout in february 2009 , called it a milestone in the war though the remaining 50,000 support troops will stay in iraq until the end of next year to train iraqi forces .
with no american soldiers to defuse sectarian tensions in northern iraq to handle various administrative and supply issues .
“ i do n’t think state has ever operated on its own , independent of the u.s. military , in an environment that is quite as threatening on such a large scale , ” said james dobbins , a former ambassador who has seen his share of trouble spots as a special envoy for afghanistan , bosnia , haiti , kosovo and somalia .
they will be out of the country on thursday .
a senior military official in iraq said the defense department will meet the deadline for exiting combat troops .
gen. stephen lanza , a spokesman for gen. ray odierno , the top u.s. still has " a significant amount of influence " in iraq .
by october 2011 , the security contractors would operate radars to warn of enemy rocket attacks , search for roadside bombs , fly reconnaissance drones and even staff quick reaction forces to aid civilians in distress , the officials said .