The top U.S. military official in Iraq said he may recommend troop reductions by March 2008, according to a TV interview broadcast Tuesday.
General David Petraeus told ABC News at Camp Victory in Baghdad that "there are limits to what our military can provide, so, my recommendations have to be informed by -- not driven by -- but they have to be informed by the strain we have put on our military services."
Petraeus said "that has to be a key factor in what I will recommend."
However, he did not elaborate on the recommendations.
When asked if March would be the time for a troop reduction to loosen the strain on the army caused by inadequate recruits, Petraeus said "your calculations are about right."
Quoting another military official, ABC News said the military would recommend a small reduction as early as December, followed by further reductions every 45 days, until the troop numbers are again down to at least 130,000 from the current 164,000.
Petraeus will present his assessment to Congress next week when he and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker attend hearings at the Senate to assess the political and military progress in Iraq, and leave the legislature to decide how to proceed.
"This will be a decision made at two ends of Pennsylvania Avenue (Congress)," he said.
During a surprise visit to Iraq Monday, President George W. Bush also flirted with the idea that cutting the number of U.S. combat troops is possible.
Interviewed by ABC News, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in Iraq that the president would reach a decision on U.S. troops in Iraq "fairly shortly" after the appearance of Petraeus and Crocker in Congress.
The White House is expected to present a report to the Democratic-dominated Congress by Sept. 15, which would persuade lawmakers to continue funding the Iraq war.
Source: Xinhua
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