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U.S. completes drawdown to 50,000 forces in Iraq


    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has completed the drawdown of its forces to Iraq to 50,000, ahead of the scheduled August 31 date, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.

    He added the combat mission was not yet over and would continue until August 31.

    "We have drawn down to 50,000, but to be clear, the mission changes on the 31st, when brigades that are left are re-missioned to advise-and-assist brigades," a senior Obama administration said.

    NBC News reported on Wednesday that the last U.S. combat troops had left Iraq and crossed the border into Kuwait, more than seven years after a U.S.-led invasion toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

    Administration officials said the NBC report was premature. The official said it had never been the U.S. intention to wait until August 31 to remove the last troops scheduled for the drawdown.

    (Reporting by Ross Colvin; Editing by Peter Cooney)