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Bush to Back Troop Cuts
His speech will add caveats to top general's plan, caution against quick pullout
By Kevin Spak
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Posted Sep 11, 07 5:34 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Bush will back his top general by pulling 30,000 troops out of Iraq by next summer, the AP reports. But he will condition all cuts on future progress when he gives his speech to the nation this week. He will also echo cautions by Petraeus and Crocker against a quick pullout, positioning his plan as a way to reduce troops without abandoning Iraq.
House members on both sides of the aisle huddled privately and mulled their political options today. Republicans considered legislation to turn Patraeus' recommendations into law, while Democrats faced pressure to use funding cuts as a threat to set harder deadlines. The general's proposal calls for reductions to pre-surge levels by July, but will set no timetable for the remaining 130,000 troops.