Lt. General Ray Odierno, second in command in Iraq, has said before the U.S. pulls back in Iraq we will conduct quick strike raids mainly in Al Qaeda strongholds.

The U.S. military is planning “quick-strike raids” aimed at smashing al Qaeda strongholds in the country before bringing some of the forces from the troop buildup home, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq said yesterday.

Faced with increasing violence from insurgents in the less-guarded northern outskirts of the country, U.S. forces will assist Iraqi forces in weeding out insurgents — mainly al Qaeda operatives — bent on destabilizing the region.

“Due to the constant pressure and depletion of their leadership, extremists have been pushed out of many population centers and are on the move, seeking other places to operate within the country,” Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno said at a Pentagon press conference via video from Baghdad.

“As a result, we are now in pursuit of al Qaeda and other extremist elements, and we’ll continue to aggressively target their shrinking areas of influence,” he said. “Over the coming weeks, we plan to conduct quick-strike raids against remaining extremist sanctuaries and staging areas.”

From what Gen. Petraeus is already quoted as saying, we can pretty much assume by this time next year the surge will be over and troops will begin drawing down.

Hopefully, the Iraqi army and police will be well-enough trained to maintain a semblance of peace in their country.

For a different take on the draw down strategy go here.