WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. President George W. Bush will try to convince Congress to keep troop levels up in Iraq through the end of his presidency, it was reported Saturday.
Bush and Pentagon officials next month will outline a plan for gradual troop withdrawal, but the numbers will fall far short of those demanded by congressional opponents of the war, The New York Times reported.
Bush opposes a more rapid troop withdrawal and believes military involvement in Iraq should remain on a "sustainable footing" at least through the end of his presidency, military officials told The Times.
Bush plans to portray his approach as a new strategy for Iraq, bolstered by what he believes is the success of the troop surge he ordered last winter, The Times reported. In a report next month to Congress, Pentagon officials will argue the surge has resulted in fewer sectarian killings and suicide attacks, The Times reported.
The Bush administration also will argue that a rapid troop withdrawal could be catastrophic for the United States and its allies given the volatility of the Middle East and Iraq, The Times reported.
