Hunter: Too soon to scrap surge

WASHINGTON, July 13 (UPI) -- A GOP presidential candidate said Thursday it was too soon to scrap the "surge" strategy in Iraq.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and a conservative candidate for the GOP's 2008 presidential nomination, was speaking after the Democratic-controlled House passed a measure insisting on U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq. President George W. Bush is expected to veto the legislation.

Hunter said the measure was "an attempt by the House Democratic leadership to stampede a retreat from Iraq. And it is a gratuitous attempt at best.

"There is no reason, however, only three and a half weeks after the surge of American troops was completed, to now race for the borders to demand that the president start winding up this operation and begin making preparations to leave, especially when Gen. (David) Petraeus will be making recommendations to us in September," the congressman said.

"We are only 27 days into this surge and the Democratic resolution before us today really provides no plan whatsoever. ... If there are adjustments to the plan, it should come after Gen. Petraeus comes before this body in September and gives us a report," Hunter said.

The "surge" strategy has been increasingly implemented over the past six months. Despite initial falls in violence in Baghdad, it has not led to any reduction in the ability of Sunni insurgents to carry out bloody car bombings throughout the capital and elsewhere in Iraq, still apparently at will.