WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 Gen. David Petraeus has advised President George W. Bush that U.S. forces should remain in Iraq at higher levels for months, The New York Times said Thursday.
The newspaper cited senior officials in the White House and the military who said Petraeus says 4,000 troops could be withdrawn as early as January to mollify Congress.
Petraeus reportedly believes that drawing down U.S. forces too fast would threaten recent security gains in Baghdad and Anbar Province.
Officials involved in helping Petraeus prepare for his appearance next week before Congress said he is expected to recommend that the size of the U.S. contingent be reduced later in 2008 to 130,000 -- the number of soldiers deployed to Iraq at the beginning of 2007.
Petraeus "is worried about risk, and all things being equal he'd like to keep as much as he could for as long as he could," a military official said.
The general is scheduled to begin his testimony Monday.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
