From the Los Angeles Times

Troop cuts in some parts of Iraq under review, Petraeus says

The Army general says he can foresee a reduction beyond the 15 brigades that will remain after the surge ends in July.

By Peter Spiegel and Julian E. Barnes
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

9:10 AM PDT, April 9, 2008

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, during a second day of testimony, told a congressional committee that he has already begun to look at four or five regions in Iraq where further drawdowns of American troops could occur later this year.

Although he was careful to emphasize that any withdrawals -- after a recommended 45-day halt this summer -- would be based on security conditions at the time, Petraeus' acknowledgment went slightly further than his stubborn refusal Tuesday to discuss the level of U.S. troops after the July pause.

"I can foresee a reduction beyond the 15 [brigades], yes, sir," Petraeus said, referring to the number of military units that will remain in Iraq once the surge ends in July. "We have a number of months and a number of substantial actions to take before then, but we are already identifying areas that we think are likely candidates for that."

The issue of when and how fast the U.S. can withdraw troops during the second half of this year has become the central dispute over the war, and Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee this morning picked up where their Senate colleagues left off Tuesday, questioning whether the continued high level of troops in Iraq is preventing the U.S. from addressing other security needs.

Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), the committee's chairman, said U.S. military and intelligence leaders have argued any future terrorist attack is likely to come from Al Qaeda operatives based in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"When looking at the needs in Afghanistan, the effort in Iraq, however important, is putting at risk our ability to decisively defeat those most likely to attack us," Skelton said.

Petraeus did not detail which areas of Iraq might be ripe for further drawdowns, though he noted that Anbar province - the western region that was once headquarters to Sunni fighters linked to Al Qaeda - has already seen sharp withdrawals of American forces. Military officials have long suggested Anbar could be the next region of Iraq turned over to central government control.

Petraeus also all but ruled out increasing troop levels once the surge ends. In the past, administration officials have argued that spikes in violence could lead to increasing U.S. forces and concerns have been raised about maintaining security during October's schedule provincial elections.

But Petraeus said a variety of factors, including the need for the U.S. military to rebuild its strategic reserve to prepare for other potential conflicts, would probably deter him from recommending an increase in forces later this year even if the security situation deteriorated.

"That would be a pretty remote thought in my mind," he said. "We do have an ability to move some forces around, and we would certainly want to do that, both Iraqi forces and our forces."