America's top general in Iraq has warned US politicians that pulling troops out of Iraq too quickly would jeopardize the "fragile" security gains made in recent months. General David Petraeus said that the surge in American troop numbers had resulted in a significant but uneven improvement in the security situation across the country.
Testifying at the US Senate, he warned that al Qaeda could "still stage a resurgence". He said troop levels would be reduced to the levels before the surge, at which point there would be a 45-day review period to work out how many would be needed in future.
The general said no set timetable for withdrawal would be set, and told the Senate Armed Forces Committee that "sizeable conventional forces" would still be needed to back up the elected government. He did not commit to further troop reductions beyond July. According to him, the "process will be continuous, with recommendations for further reductions made as conditions permit.
"This approach does not allow establishment of a set withdrawal timetable," he added. "However, it does provide the flexibility those of us on the ground need to preserve the still fragile security gains our troopers have fought so hard and sacrificed so much to achieve."
