Bush in Iraq on surprise visit, hints at troop-cut

The president flew to Iraq with his security team to meet with US commander General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker for a final review of the war before a showdown in Congress over troop levels.

“General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker tell me if the kind of success we are seeing continues, it will be possible to maintain the same level of security with fewer American forces,” Bush said.

Bush is visiting Iraq a week before Petraeus and Crocker testify to Congress on September 10. They will report on the impact of Bush’s decision to send an additional 30,000 US soldiers to Iraq, a move that increased force numbers to 160,000.

Bush has signaled that he wants to maintain a troop buildup in Baghdad and Anbar for now, although his latest comments indicated he may be open to some adjustments.

He cautioned members of Congress not to “jump to conclusions” ahead of the reports from his top officials in Iraq.

Bush flew secretly to the Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar, once a Sunni Arab insurgent stronghold but now regarded by the US military as a success story.

Bush was accompanied by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and national security adviser Steven Hadley. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived separately.

Bush also met Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who some Democrats in Congress want replaced because of his inability to push through political benchmarks.