U.S. combat troops to leave all Iraqi cities

SAMARRA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. combat forces will vacate all Iraqi cities on schedule by the end of this month, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said Tuesday, including the still violent insurgent holdout of Mosul.

U.S. combat troops are scheduled to leave Iraq's towns and cities by June 30 and redeploy to bases outside, according to a security pact that took effect in January.

Some U.S. and Iraqi officials had suggested this might have to be delayed in the case of Mosul, where al Qaeda and other insurgent groups still carry out frequent attacks.

Asked whether U.S. combat forces were on track for a total pullout from all cities, including Mosul, army General Ray Odierno said. "We are. We have done a joint assessment ... We have finalized that."

"We will come out of the cities. We will provide some trainers and advisers, LNOs (liaison officers) ... inside of Mosul ... but that'll be it," he said in an interview.

Odierno had previously not ruled out staying on in Mosul if the Iraqi government requested help to fight insurgents........