Gates Favours Pause in US Troop Withdrawals from Iraq
Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary, has expressed his desire for there to be a "pause" in US troop pullbacks once an upcoming large-scale withdrawal from Iraq has been completed.
15 US Army Brigades to Serve in Iraq from July '08
The Pentagon's aim is to reduce the number of US troops serving in Iraq down to 15 brigades, from its current 20. The deployment of one of these has already ended, while the withdrawal of the other four is scheduled to be complete by July.
Six People Dead from Latest Baghdad Explosions
Mr Gates' comments were made after he had met General David Patraeus, the commander of US forces in Iraq.
He spoke of how Iraq's security was still "fragile", although violence had dropped. As these words were spoken, a pair of explosions occurred in Baghdad.
The twin attacks - which hit the district of Jadriya - claimed the lives of six people.
Speaking to the media from a US military base, Mr Gates stated: "A brief period of consolidation and evaluation probably does make sense", adding: "...one of the keys is how long is that period (sic) and then what happens after that."
Bush to Decide US Army's Troop Levels
He stressed that, ultimately, US President George W. Bush would dictate the level of sustained troop presence for the US military in Iraq.
Previously, Mr Gates had appeared to favour an extension to the troop withdrawal programme, leaving ten brigades in Iraq by the end of the year. However, more recently, concerns have emerged over the implications of a reduced US troop force.
Early in 2007, President-Bush ordered a 30,000-strong troop surge into Iraq. The move is considered as having contributed to a drop in violence.
On completion of the reductions, around 130,000 US soldiers will be stationed in the country - about the number that was there pre-surge.
Source - Armed Forces International's US Correspondent
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