Bush to endorse gradual troop reduction in Iraq

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Source: CCTV.com | 09-14-2007 09:31

This photo provided by the White House shows President Bush, center, going over a draft of tonight's address to the nation with members of the White House speech writing staff, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. From left are: Marc Theissen, the president, Bill McGurn and Christopher Michel. [AP]

US President George W. Bush is expected to endorse a proposal for limited cuts in US troop levels in Iraq. The President will also accept a recommendation to reduce US forces to 15 brigades from 20 brigades now in place in Iraq.

During a prime time televised address, Bush is expected to embrace General David Petraeus' recommendation to gradually withdraw up to 30 thousand of the 169,000 troops in Iraq by next summer. This will bring the US force down to what it was before he ordered a buildup in January. The proposed reduction would not be as fast or as large as Democrats have demanded.

But it could buy time for Bush to pursue the war by undermining a push for a wider withdrawal. Bush has touted his prime-time speech as a chance to "lay out a vision" for future US involvement in Iraq -- four and a half years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.