The much-anticipated congressional testimony of Gen. David Petraeus on the Iraq situation on Tuesday and Wednesday is likely to renew the political debate on Iraq in Washington, but it also signals "no change" in policy for the time being.
As expected, Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, during his testimony called for suspending further U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq for 45 days after the planned pullout of five combat brigades by the end of July.
To make his case, he said there has been "significant but uneven security progress" in Iraq, but the gains are not easy to keep.
As a result, a period of pause in troop drawdown is needed, said Petraeus.
BUSH FAVORS "PAUSE"
The "pause" proposal is favored by the Bush administration.
President George W. Bush injected the five brigades into Iraq in January last year in a plan called the "surge" to quell violence.
When the "surge" runs its course in July, the five brigades are due to return to the United States.
But the Bush administration remains uncommitted on further withdrawal and Petraeus' proposal further illustrated the position.
In effect, it means there will be 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq by late July, when the Bush administration's "surge" plan ends.
The number is an increase of 8,000 over the 132,000 U.S. troops who were in Iraq in January 2007, before the "surge" plan began.
Last week, a similar line was spoken by Bush, who insisted there is progress in Iraq and the "surge" is working.
By that time, he had already hinted that he is ready to endorse the "pause" proposed by Petraeus.
Bush is expected to make a speech on Iraq Thursday and formally adopt the proposal.
CHANGE UNLIKELY TILL NEXT PRESIDENT
Petraeus' position is offensive to Democrats, who have been vowing to end the war for a long time.
Democrats, who control the Senate and the House of Representatives, may threaten to put restrictions on the next round of war funding.
Some may even try to impose timetables for withdrawal.
But Democrats' efforts to force a change in the Iraq policy are unlikely to go far before the end of Bush's term, given their lack of a commanding majority in Congress.
For one thing, polls show that the American public isn't sure of the exit strategy it wants, although the war is overwhelmingly unpopular.
Another factor is that the general election, which that will choose the next president and control of Congress, is only seven months away.
Democrats may also decide that it's probably worth waiting, as party leaders see a profitable election ahead.
The minimal effect of Petraeus' report will be to spark a new round of policy debate in Congress.
House and Senate debates over supplemental funding of the Iraq war could begin next month and Democrats will use the chance to attack the Bush administration and score political gains.
Sen. Jack Reed, a Democratic Senate Armed Services Committee member, said that Americans "are right to question why we continue to write a blank check to the Iraqi government instead of focusing more of our budget on American families struggling with the high cost of gas, groceries and a slumping economy."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, said, "to have a new direction in America, we need a new direction in Iraq."
Source:Xinhua
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