UPI NewsTrack TopNews

Report: Petraeus urges troop cuts in Iraq

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus is recommending a reduction of nearly 8,000 U.S. troops in Iraq because of improved conditions, a military official said Friday.

President George W. Bush is considering Petraeus' recommendation, which the official told CNN Friday is for a reduction of "well over 7,500 personnel," and includes combat and support troops.

Petraeus, the top U.S. general in Iraq, presented his recommendation to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, who then passed it and other recommendations to Bush, CNN said.

Some units would leave Iraq during the next five months as they complete their missions, the source said. The first possibly significant reduction without replacement would come early in 2009, freeing up a brigade to be rotated to Afghanistan rather than Iraq. Currently, 146,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq.

The White House declined to comment on the recommendation. Press secretary Dana Perino said Bush "received the assessment and recommendation from the Pentagon and he is considering his options."

White House answers claims made in book

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A newspaper article about Bob Woodward's new book on U.S. President George W. Bush that cites spying on Iraqi leaders was "incomplete," the White House said.

"While the book itself is not yet public, the picture of Iraq policy that is presented in the Washington Post article is at least incomplete," National Security Adviser Steve Hadley said in a statement issued by the White House Friday.

The book, "The War Within: A Secret White House History, 2006-2008," due out Monday, offers a new reason for the cutback in Iraqi violence. The surge of U.S. combat troops wasn't the main reason for the steep drop in violence; rather, it was new covert techniques allowing U.S. military and intelligence officials to locate and kill insurgent leaders and key members in extremist groups, said The Washington Post, where Woodward is an associate editor.

Hadley said entering into fall of 2006 the existing strategy wasn't working so Bush ordered a comprehensive review.

Concerning a statement in the report that Bush was "detached," Hadley said, "President Bush drove the process to conclusion and made a tough decision" to send more troops.

The surge allowed for three other "combined to reduce the violence," Hadley said -- covert operations, Moqtada Sadr's decision to corral his militant followers and the so-called Anbar Awakening in which Sunnis joined in fighting al-Qaida.

"It was the surge that provided more resources and a security context to support newly developed techniques and operations," Hadley said.

Emergency declared in Florida ahead of Ike

MIAMI, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Florida Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency Friday, saying Hurricane Ike could force the evacuation of up to 1.3 million people by Tuesday.

The eye of the Category 3 hurricane was about 315 miles north-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 420 miles east of Grand Turk Island, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 8 p.m. EDT update. A hurricane watch was in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern portions of the Bahamas.

Ike was moving west-southwest at almost 15 mph.

The NHC urged people in the watch areas, Cuba, South Florida and the Florida Keys to monitor Ike's progress.

Ike is predicted to make landfall in Florida some time Tuesday, the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post reported.

"We are in a state of emergency. We are in a state of emergency as we prepare for potential damage from Hanna and Ike," Crist said. "And with Hurricane Ike moving west as a dangerous Category 3, we cannot let our guard down."

Ike's maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph. Even though forecasters said some fluctuations were expected, they added Ike was expected to be a major hurricane as it reached the watch area.

Crist said it was too soon to determine where, if anywhere, evacuations would be necessary.

Hanna moves closer to U.S. East Coast

MIAMI, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Tropical storm Hanna raced closer to the U.S. coast late Friday, heading north at almost 20 mph.

At 8 p.m., the center of the storm was 100 miles south-southeast of Charleston, S.C., and about 200 miles south-southwest of Wilmington, N.C., the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported. The storm was expected to hit the coast early Saturday.

The maximum sustained winds were almost 70 mph, close to hurricane strength, with tropical storm force winds extending 290 miles from the center.

Tropical storm warnings were posted from Georgia to Sandy Hook, N.J., with a tropical storm watch for New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The hurricane center's three-day track for the storm places it over Nova Scotia Sunday and northeast of Newfoundland by Monday.

Southern ports were closed Friday. City offices and schools in Charleston shut down Friday, CNN reported.

Gov. Mike Easley of North Carolina declared a state of emergency for coastal areas Thursday.