By SPA,
Washington : General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has submitted to Defense Secretary Robert Gates his initial recommendation on when to resume a U.S. troop withdrawal and at what pace, a senior military officer said Friday.
The officer, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said Petraeus was still analyzing the situation and had not yet submitted a final set of recommendations, which he is expected to do within the next week or so. The officer did not provide any specifics of Petraeus’ initial recommendations.
Petraeus is widely expected to conclude that the outlook in Iraq—politically as well as militarily—has improved enough in recent months to allow more troop reductions this autumn. At the recommendation of Petraeus, President George W. Bush halted the reduction in U.S. force levels when the last of five Army brigades, sent in 2007 as reinforcements, withdrew in mid-July.