No future surge in sight, general says

WASHINGTON, April 10 (UPI) -- U.S. officials said Thursday President Bush will endorse recommendations from top advisers in Iraq who see no future surge in sight.

Bush in a speech Thursday said tours of duty for some U.S. military forces will go from the current 15 months back to 12 months, Voice of America said.

Meanwhile, in testimony before congressional leaders in Washington, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Army Gen. David Petraeus said it was doubtful U.S. military officials would call for an increase in Iraqi forces even if the security situation gets worse.

In 2007, top strategists in Washington recommended an additional five brigades deploy to Iraq and testimony this week said that decision resulted in a significant decrease in violence in Iraq allowing diplomatic and political developments to gain momentum, The American Forces Press Service reported.

Petraeus told committee members that Iraq is "obviously" a violent country, but noted "progress" in security developments. He said about 140,000 U.S. troops would remain in Iraq, bringing troop levels to presurge levels.

The evaluation of progress in Iraq would be "continuous," Petraeus said, with recommendations on further troop reductions following a 45-day evaluation period in July.

The general said U.S. officials would not establish a timetable for a graduated withdraw because it ties the hands of military strategists.

Petraeus warned a hasty withdraw of U.S. troops from Iraq would jeopardize the progress made in Iraq, but a report in Time magazine warns Iraqi citizens, and even the central government, are becoming dependent on U.S. forces.