More U.S. troop pullout likely as soldiers' tours shorten

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus yesterday said he can foresee pulling more troops from Iraq this year as President Bush prepared to shorten soldiers' tours of duty from 15 to 12 months.

The top U.S. military commander told a House panel that a second surge is unlikely even if violence spikes, and that his commanders are looking at four or five areas where Iraqi forces can take over.

"[[-] both Iraqi forces as well as our forces," Gen. Petraeus said when asked by Rep. Ike Skelton, Missouri Democrat and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, about the prospect of another surge.

The political stalemate on Capitol Hill continued as Gen. Petraeus and Ryan C. Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, fielded questions for the second consecutive day from Democrats pushing for a troop pullout and from Republicans convinced that Iraq can become stable.

In response to military leaders' complaints about stress on soldiers and families, Mr. Bush is expected to announce today shortened tours for Army units sent to Iraq and mandate 12 months home after Aug. 1. In a morning speech on the war, he also is expected to heed Gen. Petraeus' call for a pause in midsummer troop withdrawals once troop levels reach pre-surge levels of about 140,000.

Mr. Bush broke into tears yesterday when awarding the Medal of Honor to the family of Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy Seal who saved his comrades by throwing himself onto a grenade in 2006.

Army soldiers already in Iraq and Afghanistan will not be affected immediately by the change. Troops serving in other military branches already have shorter tours of duty.

On Capitol Hill, Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, noted the success in securing the once-dangerous Anbar province. He said no one can deny that security in Iraq has improved and asked the general to grade the performance of Iraqi troops.

"In fact, I've seen — I have seen Marines coming back in large numbers from Anbar province without combat action ribbons for a simple reason: They didn't make contact with the enemy, because there isn't contact and contention to be had in most parts of that province now," Mr. Hunter said.

The general gave Iraqi forces a "B" or "B-" for efforts in taking on militants in Basra and dealing with an uprising of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia in Baghdad.

"The Iraqi Security Forces took control of the ports. ... They have also taken control of key areas," said Gen. Petreaus. "There are still some militia strongholds."

• This story is based in part on wire service reports.