This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/7338959.stm

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Bush backs Iraq withdrawal freeze Bush hails 'major shift' in Iraq
(9 minutes later)
US President George W Bush says he will put a freeze on the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, as requested by his top general in the country. US President George W Bush has declared a "major strategic shift" in Iraq following the US troop surge.
In a statement the president said the "drawdown" would continue until July as planned, but then the military would need time to assess the next step. He said the US now held the initiative and was looking to deliver a "crippling blow" to al-Qaeda.
He said he had told his senior commander General David Petraeus "he'll have all the time he needs". US troop levels in Iraq are due to be reduced by about 20,000 by July, but Mr Bush said after that, the "drawdown" process would be frozen.
Mr Bush also said a "major strategic shift" had occurred in Iraq. Then, he said, senior commander General David Petraeus would have "all the time he needs" to assess the next step.
He said the past 15 months had seen military and political progress, and that "today we have the initiative". Gen Petraeus had called for a 45-day "period of consolidation and evaluation" after July, before any more troops left.
Mr Bush said: "I strongly support that. And therefore I won't commit beyond July."
Graph of US troops and military deaths Graph of US troops and military deaths
By July the US presence should be reduced from 20 brigades to 15 - leaving about 140,000 troops in Iraq, about the same number as were present before the US "surge" began in early 2007. Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton said the announcement left the main question unanswered: "What is the endgame in Iraq?"
Mr Bush is portraying the withdrawal as a sign of the success for the surge, and is trying to make as much capital from it as possible, says the BBC's Adam Brookes in Baghdad. Signs of progress
The president said that since the launch of the US troop surge 15 months ago, there had been significant military, political and economic progress in Iraq, and that "today we have the initiative".
Today, thanks to the surge, we've renewed and revived the prospect of success US President George W Bush Read a transcript of President Bush's speech [24k] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here
He said sectarian violence had decreased, and Iraqis were increasingly turning against al-Qaeda. Meanwhile businesses were reopening and national laws were being passed.
By July the US presence should be reduced from 20 brigades to 15 - leaving about 140,000 troops in Iraq, about the same number as were present before the surge began in early 2007.
Mr Bush is portraying the withdrawal as a sign of the success of the surge, and is trying to make as much capital from it as possible, says the BBC's Adam Brookes in Baghdad.
But by referring to a "major strategic shift" he has used language that Gen Petraeus and US ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker have deliberately avoided, our correspondent adds.But by referring to a "major strategic shift" he has used language that Gen Petraeus and US ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker have deliberately avoided, our correspondent adds.
Gen Petraeus said the situation in Iraq was still unsatisfactoryGen Petraeus said the situation in Iraq was still unsatisfactory
Mr Bush also said he was cutting tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan from 15 to 12 months, effective from 1 August, and that service personnel would have a year at home for every year served overseas.Mr Bush also said he was cutting tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan from 15 to 12 months, effective from 1 August, and that service personnel would have a year at home for every year served overseas.
The decision to halt withdrawals means the US presence in Iraq is likely to last well beyond January, when Mr Bush will leave office and a new president will take over.The decision to halt withdrawals means the US presence in Iraq is likely to last well beyond January, when Mr Bush will leave office and a new president will take over.
Iraq is one of the key battlegrounds of the election campaign, with Republican John McCain arguing for continued engagement while Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama call for full withdrawal.Iraq is one of the key battlegrounds of the election campaign, with Republican John McCain arguing for continued engagement while Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama call for full withdrawal.
ProgressProgress
In testimony on Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee, Gen Petraeus said progress had been made in Iraq but many challenges remained. Mr Bush said the two main threats to US progress in Iraq were al-Qaeda and Iran.
He said the suspension of troop withdrawals after July would allow a period of reassessment. He said US failure would allow both to increase their influence in the region.
Gen Petraeus told the House panel he was unlikely to call for another build-up of troops in Iraq even if the security situation deteriorated after some troops came home. "Al-Qaeda would claim a propaganda victory of colossal proportions," while "our failure would embolden [Iran's] radical leaders and fuel their ambitions to dominate the region", Mr Bush said.
"That would be a pretty remote thought in my mind," he said. Instead, the president said: "We have put al-Qaeda on the defensive in Iraq, and we're now working to deliver a crippling blow.
He has said a planned "drawdown" of about 20,000 troops should continue to July, but afterwards there should be a 45-day "period of consolidation and evaluation" before any more troops leave. "Fifteen months ago, Americans were worried about the prospect of failure in Iraq; today, thanks to the surge, we've renewed and revived the prospect of success."
Gen Petraeus could not say how many US troops would be in Iraq at the end of the year. There are currently 160,000 in Iraq. Democratic leaders welcomed Mr Bush's shortening of combat tours, but said keeping troops committed to Iraq was unacceptable.
The speech "can only be described as one step forward and two steps back," said the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Harry Reid.
Click here to returnClick here to return