But Maj. Adel, the commander of the Iraqi army unit that will remain behind at Hurriya 2, isn't so confident. "We're not ready 100%," he said. "The soldiers are ready and willing to stand on their own. But we lack equipment, vehicles and support."
Adel, who did not want his full name used because he was not authorized by his superiors to talk to the press, has just 15 men under his command and two Humvees at his disposal. There are plans to bolster his force with an additional 100 or so men, but they will be bringing only five additional Humvees.
They will be filling the gap left by the 180 departing American soldiers and their 55 vehicles, as well as a mortar unit. The Iraqi soldiers are armed just with AK-47s and a handful of heavy machine guns.
"Their absence will leave a big hole," Adel said of the Americans. "They are leaving too early. We need another two to three years."
U.S. troops won't be going far, and will still be on call to help out should the Iraqi security forces need them, said Army Lt. Col. John Vermeesch, who commands U.S. forces in northwest Baghdad.
Though the smaller bases scattered through Baghdad will be closed, several bigger ones on the edges of the capital will remain. These troops on the outskirts will be available to help if asked.
In fact, one of Vermeesch's biggest concerns is that Iraqis expecting to see no more Americans on the streets of Baghdad after June 30 will be disappointed.
"I believe some think they're going to wake up on July 1 and never see another coalition soldier on the streets of Baghdad," he said. "That isn't true."
Though many Iraqis will be happy to see the American presence diminish, there are also many who worry that the insurgents and militias squeezed out in 2007 will try to stage a comeback as soon as the U.S. troops pull out.
Already, there are indications of a possible resurgence. A spike in high-profile attacks in April has been blamed on insurgents trying to reassert their presence. Three roadside bombings have hit troops patrolling from Hurriya 2 in recent weeks, the first since their deployment here last fall -- though that is far from the six or seven attacks a day that were common a few years ago, soldiers say.
"It's a big challenge and a considerable risk," said Stephen Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations. "The former combatants are still there, and they're still armed. This is an inherently unstable transition."
