The U.S. general commanding the Iraq war recommended Tuesday an open-ended suspension of U.S. troop withdrawals this summer, reflecting unease about a recent flare-up in violence and leaving open the possibility that few, if any, additional troops will be brought home before President George W. Bush leaves office in January, according to AP. Gen. David Petraeus told a Senate hearing that he recommends a 45-day «period of consolidation and evaluation» once the extra combat forces that Bush ordered to Iraq last year have completed their pullout in July. He did not commit to a timetable for resuming troop reductions after the 45-day pause. «At the end of that period, we will commence a process of assessment to examine the conditions on the ground and, over time, determine when we can make recommendations for further reductions,» Petraeus said. He did not commit to any additional troop withdrawals beyond July. «This process will be continuous, with recommendations for further reductions made as conditions permit,» he said. «This approach does not allow establishment of a set withdrawal timetable. 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 a sacrificed so much to achieve.» The plan amounts to a conservative approach that gives Petraeus maximum flexibility at a time of rising violence in Baghdad and some others parts of the country. It runs counter to Democrats' push for a more rapid reduction in the U.S. military commitment and a faster transfer of responsibility to the Iraqi government. The hearing marked the start of two days of high-profile congressional appearances by Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker. With the congressional and presidential elections in November, Democrats and Republicans were using the hearings to argue their opposing stances on the war. Among the senators making their case at the hearings were the three presidential candidates: Republican John McCain, who supports keeping U.S. troops in Iraq, and Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who say they would bring soldiers home.
