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US 'must suspend' Iraq withdrawal US 'must suspend' Iraq withdrawal
(about 2 hours later)
The top US military leader in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, has recommended a suspension of troop withdrawals after July to protect gains in Iraq.The top US military leader in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, has recommended a suspension of troop withdrawals after July to protect gains in Iraq.
Gen Petraeus praised "significant" but "uneven" improvements in security and said troop levels would need a period of evaluation over the summer.Gen Petraeus praised "significant" but "uneven" improvements in security and said troop levels would need a period of evaluation over the summer.
He also said the recent Iraqi operation in Basra was "not adequately planned".He also said the recent Iraqi operation in Basra was "not adequately planned".
His comments came in a progress report on Iraq, which he and ambassador Ryan Crocker are giving to Congress. He and Ambassador Ryan Crocker gave an update to Congress on the Iraq "surge", on the first of two days of hearings.
They began by testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee then moved on to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. They also came face to face with the three senators vying to succeed George W Bush as president this November.
In the earlier hearing, Gen Petraeus said security was better than the situation at the time of his last report to Congress in September and significantly better than before the start of the US troop surge at the beginning of last year.
Graph of US troops and military deaths Graph of US troops and military deaths
But he said the situation "remains exceedingly complex and challenging", adding that "the progress, while real, is fragile and is reversible". John McCain, the Republicans' choice as candidate, was positive about the situation in Iraq while Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the rivals for the Democratic candidacy, pressed for withdrawal.
Gen Petraeus said the planned drawdown of about 20,000 troops should continue to July but that afterwards there should be a 45-day "period of consolidation and evaluation". 'Evaluation period'
"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." Our allies, Arab countries, the UN and the Iraqis themselves will not step up to their responsibilities if we recklessly retreat Senator John McCain class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7337356.stm">In quotes: Candidates react class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7335778.stm">Hearing's new urgency Gen Petraeus and Mr Crocker began on Tuesday by testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, then moved on to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He said he could not say how many US troops would be in Iraq at the end of the year. Our allies, Arab countries, the UN and the Iraqis themselves will not step up to their responsibilities if we recklessly retreat Senator John McCain class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7337356.stm">In quotes: Candidates react class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7335778.stm">Hearing's new urgency
The US has 160,000 troops in Iraq now. Gen Petraeus said security was better than the situation at the time of his last report to Congress in September and significantly better than before the start of the US troop surge at the beginning of last year.
Democratic presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton, who serves on the committee, said it was time for the "orderly process of withdrawing troops" as Iraqi leaders had failed to deliver. But while there had been real progress, it was "fragile and is reversible", he said.
She said the Iraq deployment was stretching the military's resources and that the Bush administration was ignoring the costs being incurred by continuing a failed policy. The planned "drawdown" of about 20,000 troops should continue to July but afterwards there should be a 45-day "period of consolidation and evaluation", he said.
At the start of the session, the Republican nominee-in-waiting, John McCain, said there was now a genuine chance of success in Iraq and that a withdrawal could result in a failure that might require the US to return later for a far more costly war. He could not say how many US troops would be in Iraq at the end of the year. The US currently has 160,000 troops in Iraq.
Mr McCain said he believed there was a genuine chance of success in Iraq and that a withdrawal could result in a failure that might require the US to return later for a far more costly war.
"Our allies, Arab countries, the UN and the Iraqis themselves will not step up to their responsibilities if we recklessly retreat," he said."Our allies, Arab countries, the UN and the Iraqis themselves will not step up to their responsibilities if we recklessly retreat," he said.
Mr McCain also asked Gen Petraeus about the recent Iraqi-led operation against militias in Basra. When he asked Gen Petraeus about the recent Iraqi-led operation against militias in Basra, the US commander said it had not been "adequately planned or prepared".
Gen Petraeus admitted: "There's no question that it could have been better planned... it was not adequately planned or prepared."
Iraq sent thousands of troops to Basra in a failed attempt to force the Shia Mehdi Army militia into submission. Hundreds died in heavy fighting.Iraq sent thousands of troops to Basra in a failed attempt to force the Shia Mehdi Army militia into submission. Hundreds died in heavy fighting.
'Special groups' 'Massive blunder'
Ambassador Crocker told the committee there was progress in Iraq, although it was "uneven and often frustratingly slow". Ambassador Crocker said progress in Iraq had been "uneven and often frustratingly slow" but the US and Iraq were negotiating a long-term agreement on their relations that would cover the US troop presence.
He said the US and Iraq were negotiating a long-term agreement on their relations that would cover US troop presence.
The withdrawal of US troops is a key issue in the presidential campaignThe withdrawal of US troops is a key issue in the presidential campaign
He insisted the deal would "not tie the hands of the next administration". He insisted the deal did not envisage permanent US bases in Iraq and that it would "not tie the hands of the next administration".
"The agreement will not establish permanent bases in Iraq, and we anticipate that it will expressly foreswear them," he said. Mrs Clinton, who serves on the armed services committee, condemned the decision not to submit the deal to the US Congress.
Mrs Clinton condemned the decision not to submit the deal to the US Congress. She said it was time for the "orderly process of withdrawing troops" as Iraqi leaders had failed to deliver.
Iran came in for condemnation in both testimonies. The Iraq deployment, she argued, was stretching the military's resources while the Bush administration was ignoring the costs being incurred by continuing a failed policy.
Gen Petraeus accused it of funding and training Shia militias through cells the US terms "special groups". Gen Petraeus accused Iran of funding and training Shia militias through cells the US terms "special groups".
In the later Foreign Relations Committee meeting, Mrs Clinton's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama, repeated his view that the US invasion was a "massive strategic blunder". Speaking as a member of the foreign relations committee, Mr Obama said the US "should be talking to Iran [as it could] not stabilise the situation without them".
He said the US "should be talking to Iran as we cannot stabilise the situation without them". He repeated his view that the US invasion had been a "massive strategic blunder" and called for a timetable for withdrawal.
Mr Obama added: "We are more likely to resolve the situation if we are applying increased pressure... [that] includes a timetable for withdrawal."
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