Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com). Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it exclusively produces is in the public domain. September 4, 2008 Petraeus Says US Combat Troops Could Exit Baghdad by July --------------------------------------------------------- http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1E0635A:A6F02AD83191E160A0E312ACC52A5722B3350E090FE6A6E8& Top US commander in Iraq says such a withdrawal could take place is security gains persist General David Petraeus (file photo)The top U.S. commander in Iraq says American combat troops could be withdrawn from Baghdad by next July if security gains persist. In an interview with The Financial Times newspaper published Thursday, General David Petraeus says such a pullout is possible, in his words, "conditions permitting." The U.S. military now has about 16,000 combat troops in Baghdad. Petraeus says Iraq is a "dramatically changed country" from when he took command in February 2007. He says daily attacks in Baghdad have recently declined to less than five a day, in a city of seven million people. In another development, the International Monetary Fund says Iraq's economic prospects are improving as better security helps Iraqis to boost oil production and exports. An IMF statement issued Wednesday says Iraq also has reduced inflation and made progress in fighting corruption in the oil industry by introducing oil meters. The IMF says Iraq has largely met the economic targets set by the lending agency as part of a loan program worth $746 million. But, IMF official Takatoshi Kato says further economic progress in Iraq depends on continued security improvements, sound management of Iraqi oil revenues and reform measures. Kato called on Iraq to implement restructuring plans for two major commercial banks and to finish a census of civil servants that will eliminate ghost workers. Meanwhile, U.S. forces mistakenly killed six Iraqi security personnel Wednesday in an exchange of fire north of Baghdad. Iraqi officials say Iraqi forces manning a checkpoint along the Tigris River near the town of Tarmiyah fired warning shots as a U.S. military boat approached. They say the Iraqi forces did not realize the boat was carrying American troops. Iraqi officials say U.S. soldiers returned fire and called in air strikes, killing the six Iraqis. The U.S. military expressed regret and promised to investigate. Some information for this report was provided by AFP. .