Dems: Planned troop reduction not enough

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Maintaining a large presence in Iraq hampers the United States' ability to fight in Afghanistan, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday.

"After five and a half years of war, President (George) Bush will leave office with nearly as many U.S. troops in Iraq as were there before the 'surge' began in January 2007," Pelosi said in reaction to Bush's announcement of a drawdown of 8,000 combat and support personnel in Iraq.

The heavy commitment of U.S. forces in Iraq "is hampering our ability to fight the real war against terrorism in Afghanistan, is hurting our military readiness, and is extending the strain of long deployments on our military families," she said.

Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the announced reductions "may seem to signal movement in the right direction, but it really defers troop reductions until the next administration."

Further troop reductions are needed in Iraq so "we can start to rebuild U.S. military readiness and provide the additional forces needed to finish the fight in Afghanistan."