Delivering a much-anticipated assessment of the military buildup in Iraq, America's top commander there, citing improvements in security, recommended Monday that the U.S. start withdrawing some troops later this month but not return to pre-"surge" levels until next summer at the earliest.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said he would send home a force of about 2,200 Marines this month, and he recommended that an Army brigade of about 3,500 return home in December. But Petraeus advised keeping the remainder of the buildup forces -- four brigades and two Marine battalions -- in Iraq through July.
At that point, force levels would drop to the pre-buildup figure, about 130,000.
Since the buildup was announced in January, President Bush has urged Americans to give it time to work. Petraeus' report, he said, will be a key factor in setting a future course for the war.
Much of the daylong testimony before two House committees, which was televised live, had been previewed in recent days. But there were unexpected elements. Potentially most significant was the general's announcement that he would decide by March when troop levels could drop below 130,000 -- effectively setting a new deadline for the military, Congress and the Bush administration in the debate over the war's future.
The "very substantial withdrawal" Petraeus outlined Monday would keep the buildup in place for as long as possible without extending the tours of soldiers beyond the current limit of 15 months: Taking into account those tour limits, which were increased to their current level earlier this year, those additional troops would have had to come home anyway by the end of August. In essence, Petraeus was arguing Monday for a continuation of the buildup until virtually no more Army and Marine units were available.
"The military objectives of the surge are in large measure being met," Petraeus said at the beginning of his testimony. "In recent months, in the face of tough enemies and the brutal summer heat of Iraq, coalition and Iraqi security forces have achieved progress in the security arena."
Petraeus said that by bringing home some forces this year -- a move called for by Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), an important moderate voice -- he was starting the drawdown earlier than previously planned. However, his proposal also would slow the removal of brigades, ending the buildup only about a month earlier than was forecast by Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the day-to-day military commander.
