国际英语新闻：Biden meets U.S. commander in Iraq before UN meeting

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday met with General Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, reviewing developments in that country before a United Nations meeting on Iraq.

According to the White House, during the meeting, Biden and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon were briefed by Austin, who reviewed political and security developments in Iraq. They also discussed the progress Iraq has made toward providing for its own security.

The meeting took place before a United Nations Security Council High-Level Meeting on Iraq, which will be chaired by Biden on Wednesday. The purpose of the meeting is to "recognize and reinforce the tremendous progress that the Republic of Iraq has made and to discuss ways in which members can continue to support Iraq's government and people," said the White House.

The United States formally ended its combat operations in Iraq on September 1, cutting the U.S. military personnel based there to about 50,000. Washington said that the remaining U.S. troops will stay in Iraq for training and supporting Iraqi security forces, also conducting joint counter-terrorism operations.

The U.S. troops will completely pull out of Iraq by the end of 2011, according to a security pact signed in 2008 between Baghdad and Washington.