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Petraeus Wants To Keep Surge As Long As Possible

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By DAVID E. SANGER and DAVID S. CLOUD, The New York Times

Published: September 7, 2007

WASHINGTON - Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has told President Bush that he wants to maintain heightened troop levels in Iraq well into next year to reduce the risk of military setbacks, but could accept the pullback of an initial brigade beginning in January, according to senior administration and military officials.

Petraeus' view is considered overly cautious by some other senior military officials and some members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, officials said. They said it reflected his concern that the security gains made so far in Baghdad, Anbar province and other areas were fragile and easily reversed.

Beyond the gesture of pulling back one brigade, officials who have been involved in the preparation of Petraeus' congressional testimony to be delivered next week say he will discuss the possibility of far deeper withdrawals beyond January that, over a number of months, could bring American force levels down to about 130,000 troops, where they stood at the beginning of 2007.

They said it was unclear how specific the general would be in publicly discussing the timing of such pullbacks, and they said that even in internal administration deliberations he had described a number of conditions that must be met before a reduction.

White House officials said Thursday that Bush had yet to make any final decisions about the recommendations that he would accept. Petraeus' apparent agreement to a small withdrawal beginning early next year could fit into a narrow consensus that is beginning to emerge on Capitol Hill.

Many Republicans and Democrats agree that some troop withdrawal should begin soon, though major disagreements remain about how quick and deep the subsequent withdrawals should be.

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