U.S. confident troop cuts won't hurt Iraq security
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Cuts in U.S. troop levels in Iraq will not derail recent security gains, but the Iraqi government must move quicker to take advantage of the falls in violence, a senior U.S. general said on Sunday.
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In his most optimistic remarks since the U.S. troop buildup began, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that parts of Iraq have undergone a "sea change" in security in recent months, and this will influence his recommendation to President Bush on how long to continue the current strategy.
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The United States may be able to reduce its troop levels in Iraq after the January elections if security improves and Iraqi government
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AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq  - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Monday his top officials in Iraq had told him the present level of security could be maintained with fewer forces if what he called current successes continued.
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Gen. David H. Petraeus said that by next summer the U.S. should be able to reduce its troop strength in Iraq to the level it was at before the recent increase.
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Facing another decision about U.S. troop levels in Iraq by spring, President Bush said Saturday it's "fine with me" if generals recommend no more reductions than those already planned to take the force posture down to about 130,000.
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A U.S. troop reduction in northern Iraq could begin as early as January 2008 and would cut in half the U.S. military presence in the region over the following 18 months, the top U.S. commander for the area said today.
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U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan are likely to remain steady, at about 21,000, at least until next February, the top U.S. general there said Thursday, echoing earlier comments about forces in Iraq.
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The U.S. military commander in Iraq said on Thursday he currently saw no immediate need to request more U.S. troops other than those already announced, but they would need to stay "well beyond the summer".
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The U.S. military issued a sober assessment Tuesday of the Baghdad security crackdown, saying violence had decreased slightly but not to &quot;the degree we would like to see&quot; in the two weeks since 75,000 Iraqi and American troops flooded the capital.
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AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq  - President George W. Bush raised the prospect of troop cuts in Iraq after meeting top commanders at a desert air base on Monday but said any reduction would only be made from a position of strength.
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The next three to four months will be vital to determine if violence in Iraq can be cut further and security maintained with fewer American troops, the number two U.S. military commander in Iraq said on Tuesday.
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U.S. troops could start leaving Iraq by the end of this year if the plan to suppress sectarian violence in Baghdad is successful, the defense secretary said.
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AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - The United States may be able to reduce its troop levels in Iraq after the January elections if security improves and Iraqi government forces continue to expand and improve, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Sunday...
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Foreign troop levels in Iraq could drop to less than 100,000 by the end of 2008 if Iraq's own forces were ready and security threats had diminished, Iraq's national security adviser said on Wednesday.
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President George W. Bush on Thursday is expected to endorse plans for limited cuts in U.S. troop levels in Iraq but will offer little else to skeptical Americans looking for a change of course in the unpopular war.
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U.S. President George W. Bush said on Wednesday he saw signs of progress in Iraq and the possibility of a troop reduction as staunch ally Australia pledged not to withdraw its soldiers.