A woman comforts her 14-year-old daughter Ikhlas Abid in a hospital in Baghdad Wednesday, Dec. 3,... 
(AP)
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is organizing tribal councils ostensibly to help local authorities enforce security. Critics, including Kurdish politicians, believe the councils are aimed at bolstering al-Maliki's position before next year's elections.
Austin attributed the fall in violence to an increase in the number of Iraqi security forces on the streets as well as the arrest in recent months of a number of key figures from al-Qaida and Shiite extremist "special groups."
In the latest arrest, U.S. troops captured two suspected members of the Shiite militant Kataib Hezbollah and killed another during raids early Wednesday in Baghdad's Karradah district, the U.S. said.
The U.S. believes Kataib Hezbollah is trained, financed and armed by Iran, a charge the Iranians deny.
"Coalition and Iraqi forces have killed or captured hundreds of individuals who played key roles in al-Qaida," Austin said. "We have also degraded the networks of the (Shiite) special groups criminals."
But Austin said the continuing attacks were "still of concern" because they were aimed at killing large numbers of civilians and drawing "media attention."
U.S. troops are working more and more with Iraqi soldiers and police in hopes of improving their performance ahead of substantial withdrawals of American forces expected next year.
President-elect Barack Obama wants to bring most American combat troops home from Iraq within 16 months, although he has promised to consult with his military commanders and Iraqi officials first.
Starting Jan. 1, U.S. forces will be operating under a new security agreement approved last week by the Iraqi parliament. The agreement gives Iraqi authorities a role in approving and overseeing U.S. military operations.
It also provides a firm timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops — first out of Baghdad and other cities by the end of next June and out of the country by 2012.
Austin said he was confident that the transition to increased Iraqi oversight would be smooth. He said the U.S. had no major bases in Iraqi cities except for Baghdad and Mosul and was already conducting most operations alongside Iraqi troops.
Do you have more information about this topic? If so, please click here to contact the editors of ABC News.
