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The top US commander in
Iraq,
General David Petraeus, says he
expects
to be able to recommend cuts in US
forces
before he leaves his post in
September.
BBC News - Gen Petraeus told a
Senate panel he hoped to make the
recommendation at the end of a 45-day freeze
on withdrawals, which is due to start in
July.
He would not say how many troops would be
withdrawn.
The Senate panel is considering Gen
Petraeus' nomination to be appointed head of
US Central Command.
After the latest round of withdrawals is
completed in July, the US will have about
140,000 troops in Iraq.
Gen Petraeus played a key role in the
Bush administration's "surge" strategy,
which has been credited with helping reduce
violence in Iraq.
Pressure on Iran
He told the Senate panel that security
conditions in Iraq had continued to improve
despite the withdrawal of three of the five
surge brigades and that Iraqi security
forces were taking on more responsibility.
"Prime Minister Maliki, his government,
the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi
people, in addition to our troopers, deserve
considerable credit for the positive
developments since Ambassador Crocker and I
testified a month and a half ago," he said.
Gen Petraeus said he did not know if the
next withdrawal would be as large as a
brigade - a unit of between 3,000 and 5,000
troops.
"I do believe that there will be certain
assets that... we'll be able to recommend
can be either redeployed or not deployed to
the theatre in the fall," he said.
On Iran, Gen Petraeus told senators the
United States should increase pressure on
Tehran to counter its rising influence in
the Middle East, and should retain the
option of military action as a last resort.
He has been nominated to take charge of
US Central Command, the headquarters
responsible for US security interests which
covers an area from the Horn of Africa into
central Asia and includes all operations in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
His former deputy in Iraq, Lt-Gen Ray
Odierno, has been nominated to replace him
in Baghdad.
Gen Petraeus has been credited with
bringing about progress on both the
political and economic fronts in Iraq since
he took over as the top commander in
February 2007.
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