Petraeus Makes His Case to Congress

(WASHINGTON) —

The U.S. general commanding the Iraq war called Tuesday for an open-ended suspension of U.S. troop withdrawals this summer, reflecting concern about a recent flare-up in violence and leaving open the possibility that few, if any, additional troops will be brought home before President Bush leaves office in January.

Gen. David Petraeus told a Senate hearing that he recommends a 45-day "period of consolidation and evaluation" once the extra combat forces that Bush ordered to Iraq last year have completed their pullout in July. He did not commit to a timetable for resuming troop reductions after the 45-day pause.

"At the end of that period, we will commence a process of assessment to examine the conditions on the ground and, over time, determine when we can make recommendations for further reductions," Petraeus said.

He did not commit to any additional troop withdrawals beyond July.

"This process will be continuous, with recommendations for further reductions made as conditions permit," he added. "This approach does not allow establishment of a set withdrawal timetable. However, it does provide the flexibility those of us on the ground need to preserve the still fragile security gains our troopers have fought so hard a sacrificed so much to achieve."

The plan gives Petraeus maximum flexibility at a time of rising violence in Baghdad and some others parts of the country. It runs counter to Democrats' push for a more rapid reduction in the U.S. military commitment and a faster transfer of responsibility to the Iraqi government.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic presidential hopeful and a sharp critic of the administration's Iraq policy, asked Petraeus for more clarity on what factors he would use in deciding when to recommend more troop reductions, but she did not press him at length. She reiterated her view that Bush's policy has failed and that the time has arrived to disengage from Iraq to focus more fully on other security problems like Afghanistan. "It's time to begin an orderly process of withdrawing our troops," she said.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, attended the hearing as the committee's ranking Republican.

"Our goal — my goal — is an Iraq that no longer needs American troops," McCain said. "And I believe we can achieve that goal, perhaps sooner than many imagine. But I also believe that to promise a withdrawal of our forces, regardless of the consequences, would constitute a failure of political and moral leadership."

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