Bush Advisers: Keep Surge

WASHINGTON - President Bush's senior advisers on Iraq have recommended he stand by his current war strategy, and he is unlikely to order more than a symbolic cut in troops before the end of the year, administration officials said yesterday.

The recommendations from the military commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker come despite findings reported yesterday that Baghdad has failed to meet most of the political, military and economic markers set by Congress. The Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative and auditing arm, reported that Iraq has failed to meet 11 of its 18 goals.

Bush appears set on maintaining the central elements of the policy he announced in January, one senior administration official said in an interview after discussions with participants in Bush's briefings during his surprise visit Monday to Iraq.

Although the addition of 30,000 troops and the focus on increasing security in Baghdad would not be permanent, Bush is inclined give it more time in hopes of extending military gains in Baghdad and Anbar province, officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to describe decisions coming as part of the White House report on Iraq due to Congress next week.

Republican leaders yesterday suggested the GOP might be willing to support keeping troops in the region through spring. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said he would like to ensure a long-term U.S. presence in the Middle East to fight al-Qaeda and deter aggression from Iran.

"I hope that this reaction to Iraq and the highly politicized nature of dealing with Iraq this year doesn't end up in a situation where we just bring all the troops back home and thereby expose us, once again, to the kind of attacks we've had here in the homeland or on American facilities," McConnell said.

With Monday's review sessions in Iraq, Bush has heard from all the military chiefs, diplomats and other advisers he planned to consult before making a widely anticipated report to Congress by Sept. 15.

The United States would be hard-pressed to maintain the current level of 160,000 troops in Iraq indefinitely, but Bush is not expected to order more than a slight cut before the end of the year, officials said.

Bush himself suggested that modest troop cuts might be possible if military successes continued, but he gave no timeline or specific numbers.

Petraeus, in an interview with ABC News, suggested that a drawdown next spring would be needed to avoid further strain on the military. Asked whether March would be that time, he said: "Your calculations are about right."

Republican support could hinge on Petraeus' testimony to Congress next week. If he can convince lawmakers that the security gains won in recent months are substantial and point toward a bigger trend, GOP members might be willing to hold out until next spring.

They also might be persuaded if Bush promises some small troop drawdowns by the end of the year, as was suggested to the White House by Sen. John W. Warner of Virginia, an influential Republican on security matters.

"It is critical that we continue working with the Iraqis to solidify the gains that have been made since the inception of the surge, and our troops are on track to do just that," House Republican leader John A. Boehner of Ohio said yesterday.

Whether GOP rank-and-file lawmakers - many of whom may face tough elections next year - stand by Bush will be crucial in staving off Democratic legislation setting a deadline for troop withdrawals. One such lawmaker, Sen. Norm Coleman (R., Minn.), returning from a trip to Iraq, said yesterday that a small round of troop withdrawals might be the ticket to forcing political progress in Iraq.

Democrats hold a razor-thin majority in the Senate and have been unable to pass veto-proof bills forcing Bush to pull out troops.

In the House yesterday, nearly a dozen members issued a call for bipartisan cooperation to stabilize Iraq and "bring our troops home."

The letter, signed by six Republicans and five Democrats, urged party leaders to "work together to put an end to the political infighting" that has marked congressional debate on the conflict thus far. Among the signers were Democrat Bob Brady, Republicans Jim Gerlach and Charles W. Dent, all of Pennsylvania, and Republican Michael Castle of Delaware.

Yesterday's report on benchmarks was slightly more upbeat than initially planned. After receiving substantial resistance from the White House, the GAO determined that four benchmarks - instead of two - had been partially met.

But the GAO stuck with its original contention that only three goals out of the 18 had been fully achieved. The goals met include establishing joint security stations in Baghdad, ensuring minority rights in the Iraqi legislature, and creating support committees for the Baghdad security plan.

Link to the GAO report

on Iraq and the summary via http://go.philly.com/iraqgao EndText