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BAGHDAD – With President Barack Obama set to announce the withdrawal of most U.S. forces from Iraq over the next 18 months, some Iraqis say they fear that such a move could lead to a resurgence of violence.”Terrorists are just waiting for the Americans to leave the country in order to turn things upside down,” said Ibrahim Salman, 55, a Baghdad municipality official.

U.S. soldiers take up position to secure the opening of a water treatment plant in Baghdad's Sadr City on Jan. 21, 2009.

Salman, who lost relatives and friends during the sectarian violence that raged across Iraq during 2005 and 2006, said armed groups could take advantage of the American military pullout to terrorize the country once again.”I am against a hasty evacuation of U.S. troops from Iraq because security is not completely achieved throughout Iraq,” Salman said. “The Iraqi police force and army still need more training, experience, intelligence gathering and sophisticated military equipment.”

Obama’s plan reportedly accounts for further training for Iraqi forces. According to senior administration officials, U.S. Troops will withdrawal slowly over the next 18 months– dropping from the current number of about 142,000 to a residual force of 50,000 that will carry out clean-up and protection operations. These troops also will work closely with the Iraqi military, which is expected to take over all daily combat missions by August 2010, NBC News reports.

‘Responsible and gradual’
Diana Obaedi, a 24-year-old private secretary, said she supported the idea of a “responsible and gradual withdrawal” of American troops. But as someone whose family was displaced by armed groups, she also was concerned that Iraq must be “stable and secure” before the Americans leave.

A barber in his late forties, Sa’ad Yassin, echoed this sentiment.

“Of course, nobody likes his country to be occupied, but I want joint Iraqi and American forces to get rid of the terrorists, criminals, gangs and sleeper cells who are waiting to jump and control the land and people,” Yassin said.

Adel Abdul-Jabbar, a technician in Baghdad, fears there will be a bloodbath after U.S. forces leave.

“Pulling their forces and leaving Iraq to be devoured by Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Turkey? Oh! No!” he said. “No, I am sure al-Qaida and militias will destroy Iraq and Iraqis will be swimming in blood pools.”

‘History repeats itself’
Others expressed disbelief. Abu Ahmed, a retiree, laughed at the notion that the American forces will ever leave Iraq.

“They say ‘history repeats itself,’ I won’t believe the American administration is going to pull its forces out of Iraq. They will stay for decades just like they did in Germany and Japan,” he said.

Still, Amer Qabani, a 33-year-old oil-driller, was optimistic about his country’s future and thinks that Obama is a man of his word.

“He promised in his presidential campaign to responsibly withdraw his troops from Iraq,” said Qabani. “I guess we will have to wait and see. I think Iraqi forces will be ready.”

President Obama says he plans to keep up to 50,000 support troops in Iraq after combat troops leave in 2010.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Obama told congressional leaders Thursday he’s planning to pull all combat troops out of Iraq by August 2010, according to three congressional officials.

Under this scenario, all combat troops will be withdrawn within 19 months of Obama’s January inauguration, three months longer than his promise on the campaign trail.

In a meeting at the White House Thursday evening, Obama also told lawmakers that he plans to keep a range of 35,000 to 50,000 support troops on the ground in Iraq after combat troops are out, the officials said.

All U.S. troops have to be out of Iraq by December 31, 2011, under an agreement the Bush administration signed with the Iraqi government last year.

White House officials confirmed the president will deliver a speech about Iraq to troops at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina on Friday, his first visit to a military base since being sworn into office.

The officials refused to comment on the details of Obama’s plan.

While liberals may be frustrated that Obama is not keeping his campaign promise to the letter, the president could win credit from lawmakers in both parties for giving military commanders more time and flexibility to finish the mission.

What may turn out to be more controversial is the number of noncombat troops that will remain in Iraq under Obama’s plan.

Military officials have stressed that residual, noncombat forces would focus on supplies and logistics to protect U.S. interests in the region. But senior Democrats such as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have expressed concern over such a large number of troops staying in Iraq after combat forces have left.

One source familiar with the discussion told CNN that Democratic lawmakers complained in private to the president about the remaining troops just as they have in public.

“That’s a little higher number than I expected,” Reid said Thursday before the White House meeting.

Sen. Richard Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat and a close Obama ally, said before the White House meeting that he’s anxious to get troops home. But he defended the administration, saying it is “trying to strike the right balance” between ending the war and maintaining stability in Iraq.

A spokeswoman for Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Arms Services committee and an attendee at the White House meeting, told CNN that McCain supports the plan to leave 50,000 troops in Iraq.

Rep. John McHugh, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said after the White House meeting that Obama assured him the plan to withdraw all combat forces will be revisited if conditions on the ground in Iraq deteriorate.

“The president’s objective to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq is one we should pray for, plan for, and work toward,” McHugh said in a written statement.

“However, I remain concerned that the security situation in Iraq is fragile, and we should work to mitigate any risks to our troops and their mission. I specifically raised these points with the president this evening, and he assured me that he will revisit his plan if the situation on the ground deteriorates and violence increases,” he said.

“Our commanders must have the flexibility they need in order to respond to these challenges, and President Obama assured me that there is a ‘Plan B,’” McHugh said.