WASHINGTON (CNN)  -- It isn't clear whether the United States will ever be able to declare victory in Iraq, the top U.S. commander there said Thursday.



Army Gen. Ray Odierno speaks to reporters at the Pentagon  on Thursday.



"I'm not sure we will ever see anyone declare victory in Iraq, because first off, I'm not sure we'll know for 10 years or five years," Army Gen. Ray Odierno told reporters at the Pentagon.



About 123,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq now, and President Obama says all combat forces will be gone by the end of August 2010, leaving as many as 50,000 noncombat troops to advise and train Iraqi forces before leaving by the end of 2011.



Odierno has said he wants to draw down the U.S. forces at a faster rate than planned if the security situation allows it. On Thursday, he said he expected the number of U.S. troops to drop to 120,000 by the end of October, and to as few as 110,000 by the end of 2009.



"What we've done here is we're giving Iraq an opportunity in the long term to be a strategic partner of the United States, but more importantly, be a partner in providing regional stability inside of the Middle East," Odierno said.



Odierno also highlighted continuing security issues inside the country, saying Iraqi security forces have recently seized several "very large" caches of Iranian-made rockets and armor-piercing munitions known as explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs.



"If you're training people ... in Iran to come back into Iraq, and you're providing them rockets and other things, I call that significant because it still enables people to conduct attacks not only on U.S. forces but on Iraqi civilians," Odierno said.



At a congressional hearing Wednesday, Odierno said the main threat to stability in Iraq are Arab-Kurd tensions, adding there has been difficulty bringing the two sides together for possible joint patrols.



"We've had some very good meetings," he said. "But we still have some ways to go on that."
How many U.S. troops are presently in Iraq? What were the remarks made to reporters? How many U.S. troops in Iraq? How many troops does Odierno want to keep in Iraq? What did Iraqi security forces recently seize? Who makes remark to reporters at Pentagon? What was in the weapons caches? What did Iraqi security forces seize? Who made remarks to the reporters? What number could the troops drop to by January?
About 123,000 "I'm not sure we will ever see anyone declare victory in Iraq, because first off, I'm not sure we'll know for 10 years or five years," About 123,000 110,000 several "very large" caches of Iranian-made rockets and armor-piercing munitions Army Gen. Ray Odierno Iranian-made rockets and armor-piercing munitions several "very large" caches of Iranian-made rockets and armor-piercing munitions Army Gen. Ray Odierno 110,000
question: How many U.S. troops are presently in Iraq?, answer: About 123,000 | question: What were the remarks made to reporters?, answer: "I'm not sure we will ever see anyone declare victory in Iraq, because first off, I'm not sure we'll know for 10 years or five years," | question: How many U.S. troops in Iraq?, answer: About 123,000 | question: How many troops does Odierno want to keep in Iraq?, answer: 110,000 | question: What did Iraqi security forces recently seize?, answer: several "very large" caches of Iranian-made rockets and armor-piercing munitions | question: Who makes remark to reporters at Pentagon?, answer: Army Gen. Ray Odierno | question: What was in the weapons caches?, answer: Iranian-made rockets and armor-piercing munitions | question: What did Iraqi security forces seize?, answer: several "very large" caches of Iranian-made rockets and armor-piercing munitions | question: Who made remarks to the reporters?, answer: Army Gen. Ray Odierno | question: What number could the troops drop to by January?, answer: 110,000