Bush meets Joint Chiefs on Iraq

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- U.S. President George W. Bush met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff Wednesday in a closed-door session to discuss military commitments in Iraq.

Bush, as well as Vice President Dick Cheney, met with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, to assess the strategy to postpone further drawdowns in U.S. troop levels in Iraq, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Bush is expected to adhere to the advice of his top military advisers who are recommending a freeze on troop reductions beyond the planned reduction of some 20,000 troops this July.

Bush met with U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus on Monday and Defense Secretary Robert Gates Tuesday on the way forward in Iraq.

Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are scheduled to testify before Congress in April on the progress in Iraq.

It is expected Bush will yield any further decisions on the U.S. military presence in Iraq to the next U.S. president.