Top general hits pullout plan by Democrats

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The top U.S. commander for Iraq rejected yesterday proposals from Senate Democrats to immediately pull troops from Iraq or do it on a specific timetable starting in March.

"Our troops' posture needs to stay where it is as we move to enhance the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces," Gen. John Abizaid, the head of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, "and then we need to assess whether or not we can bring major combat units out of there."

His response was, in effect, a dismissal of a proposal from incoming Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat, for a phased withdrawal to begin in four months, and from Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, for an immediate pullout.

Gen. Abizaid said current troop levels, and an improving Iraqi security force of more than 300,000, are sufficient to eventually win.

"I believe that we can move forward," he said.

But Democrats, and at least one Republican, expressed skepticism.

"It's not encouraging to those of us who heard time after time that things are, quote, 'progressing well,' that we're making progress, et cetera, because we're hearing from many other sources that that's not the case," said Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican.

Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who won re-election as an independent, displayed how difficult it will be for Mr. Levin to get a majority of senators to agree to specific withdrawal dates.

"I agree with both of you that a congressional mandate to begin a withdrawal from Iraq in a time certain would be a disaster for the Iraqis and, more directly, for the U.S.," he said.

Gen. Michael V. Hayden, CIA director, later provided a sober picture of Iraq.