Iraq U.S. Forces Commander General Lloyd Austin and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey gave an upbeat assessment on the transition in the country from a military mission to a civilian-led effort at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. They appeared before the committee to answer questions about a 2008 agreement between the U.S. and Iraq that calls for all U.S. troops to withdraw from the region by the end of this year. According to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee report released recently, American diplomats and other mission employees may not be safe in Iraq if the U.S. military leaves by the deadline.