Bush may cut troops' service

2008-04-08 16:25

Washington - President George W Bush could announce as early as Thursday that US soldiers' tours in Iraq and Afghanistan will be cut back to one year from the 15 months now served, a US official told Reuters on Monday.

Tours of duty were extended in April 2007 to sustain a US build-up of force in Iraq, placing more strain on a military already stretched by combat there and in Afghanistan.

The expected decision to reduce tours comes as the Pentagon withdraws five combat brigades - or about 20 000 troops - from Iraq through mid-July. That will reduce troop numbers to the level in Iraq before the troop build-up.

The announcement of a shortened combat tour could help the Bush administration signal progress in the war during a week of congressional testimony that Democrats have already said will show the White House has no plan to end the conflict.

The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a final decision on the timing of an announcement has not been made.

General David Petraeus, top US commander in Iraq, is expected to tell Congress on Tuesday that the military will halt withdrawals after that to assess security conditions.

Further withdrawals will be tied to those conditions. The US has 160 000 troops in Iraq now.

- Reuters