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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009
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Petraeus to Bush: Hold Troop Levels Steady

General's advice means significant drawdowns will be left to next prez

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(Newser) – Troop levels should remain steady in Iraq once they return to pre-surge levels in July, Gen. David Petraeus told President Bush today. Petraeus urged a period of “consolidation and evaluation,” with monthly reviews of ground conditions—meaning Bush would likely leave major troop reductions to his successor, the New York Times reports.

Petraeus’ measured words avoided the term “pause,” which has been popular on Capital Hill lately, and echoed the “consolidation and evaluation” phrase Robert Gates test drove in last month. Both the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Democrats are clamoring for a swift withdrawal. Petraeus’ monthly review plan seems designed to eliminate the lengthy debates between the current 6-month reviews.

President Bush makes a statement at the State Department in Washington, Monday, March 24, 2008.
President Bush makes a statement at the State Department in Washington, Monday, March 24, 2008.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
U.S. Commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, speaks at the Pentagon in Washington in this Sept. 13, 2007 file photo.
U.S. Commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, speaks at the Pentagon in Washington in this Sept. 13, 2007 file photo.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
Gen. David Petraeus, visits a shop in central Baghdad, Iraq, March 1, 2008. Gen. Petraeus will ask President Bush to wait until as late as September to decide when to bring home more troops.
Gen. David Petraeus, visits a shop in central Baghdad, Iraq, March 1, 2008. Gen. Petraeus will ask President Bush to wait until as late as September to decide when to bring home more troops.   (AP Photo)
A woman holds a sign reading
A woman holds a sign reading "4,000 Dead" as she waits for the lighting of 4,000 candles in a demonstration to commemorate 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq in San Francisco, Monday, March 24.   (AP Photo/Darryl Bush)
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