The United States hopes to sharply reduce its forces in Iraq within the next year, its top commander on the ground said on Wednesday. "I do believe that if the political process continues to go positively, if the developments with the (Iraqi) security forces continue to go as it is going, I do believe we will still be able to make fairly substantial reductions after these elections in the spring and summer of next year," General George Casey said at a briefing with visiting Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, according to a report of Reuters.
