Bush plays down Iraq troop withdrawal reports

updated 7:48 p.m. ET June 26, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq - President Bush on Monday brushed aside reports that the United States is planning sharp troop withdrawals from Iraq beginning in September. Such a decision will be made by the new Iraqi government and based upon recommendations from the top U.S. general there, Bush said.

Even so, his spokesman said that a reduction of two combat brigades was among the options being considered. Conditions on the ground will help shape the recommendation from Gen. George W. Casey, Bush told reporters.

“And one of the things General Casey assured me of was that whatever recommendation he makes, it’ll be aimed toward achieving victory,” Bush said. “And victory means a free government that is able to sustain itself, defend itself.”

Meanwhile, two bombs exploded in Iraq, killing at least 40 and wounding at least 89. Earlier Monday a key Shiite legislator said that seven Sunni Arab insurgent groups had contacted the government to declare their readiness to join in efforts at national reconciliation.

Troop drawdown not only option
Bush met with Casey, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, at the White House on Friday. The president spoke with reporters Monday after meeting with leaders of organizations that support the U.S. military in Iraq.

Bush’s press secretary, Tony Snow, was later asked about news reports that Casey had proposed withdrawing two combat brigades, or up to about 7,000 troops, beginning in September.

“General Casey proposes lots of things and actually laid out more than one option. And everybody’s fastening on one,” Snow said. “... Certainly that’s under consideration, but I would warn against saying this is what he’s saying, this is what he wants.”

“When he makes a recommendation the president’s going to follow it. He trusts General Casey and he’s made it clear,” Snow said.

NBC VIDEO Proposed cuts June 26: Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, an NBC News military analyst, discusses proposed troop cuts. Today show

The New York Times reported that Casey has drafted a plan that projects sharp reductions in Iraq with the number of American combat brigades projected to decrease to five or six from the current level of 14 by the end of 2007.

The first reductions would involve two combat brigades that would rotate out of Iraq in September without being replaced, according to the plan reported by the Times. Combat brigades, which generally have about 3,500 troops, do not make up the bulk of the 127,000-member American force in Iraq.

‘How to achieve victory’
Asked about that report, Bush confirmed that he met with Casey on Friday and that “we talked about a lot of things.”

“In terms of our troop presence there, that decision will be made by Gen. Casey as well as the sovereign government of Iraq, based upon conditions on the ground,” Bush said.

“I’ve told the American people our commanders will be making the decisions as to how to achieve victory. And Gen. Casey, of course, is the lead person,” Bush said.

Adjusting forces
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Casey talked both about positive trends that he’s seeing in Iraq, and the issues that lie ahead.

“The challenges that he talked about are very real and somewhat unpredictable,” said Whitman. “And because of that, there’s going to need to be a certain amount of flexibility that the commander has, to adjust forces over time.”

“There should not be hard and fast timetables associated with our force adjustments,” said Whitman. “The commanders on the ground need the flexibility to be able to adjust the troop levels based on the conditions that exist.”

Snow, the White House spokesman, refused to disclose what Casey told Bush but said the general has “a number of scenarios in mind for differing situations on the ground.” He said planning would change based on conditions on the ground.

“But I’m certainly not going to announce in advance anything that he may have in mind for the president or that he may be recommending,” Snow said. “Just don’t do that in a time of war.”

2 deadly blasts
Bombs killed at least 40 people at markets in two Iraqi cities Monday, hours after key lawmakers told The Associated Press that seven Sunni Arab insurgent groups offered the government a conditional truce.

Despite the fresh opening between the government and the militant organizations — which do not include al-Qaida or Islamic terror groups — a top Iraqi commander said Baghdad’s forces would not be ready to keep the peace for at least a year in Anbar province, the insurgent heartland.

The latest bombings came as a reminder of just how difficult establishing security can be in many areas of Iraq. Both markets were jammed with shoppers buying dinner provisions as temperatures began to cool after sunset.

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