Washington - The top US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, warned Tuesday the progress that has been made by the increased American troop presence was "fragile" and recommended a 45-day pause in further withdrawals once the surge ends in July. "Though Iraq remains a violent country we do see progress in the security arena," Petraeus said at the opening of two days of congressional testimony to provide an update on the situation in Iraq along with US ambassador Ryan Crocker.
Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Iraq's security forces were growing stronger but still needed assistance, and the improvement in stability relied on the ceasefire by Shiite militias affiliated with radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al- Sadr.
Petraeus also accused Iran of playing a "destructive" role in Iraq by arming and training Shiite militias and warned that any premature withdrawals would allow Tehran to stoke violence. He also said Syria has not done enough to halt the slow of militants into Iraq across its borders.
Petraeus appeared before Congress more than a year after President George W Bush ordered an additional 30,000 troops to Iraq, expanded the US presence to 160,000.
