IRAQ: The White House confirmed yesterday that the top US military commander in Iraq has drafted a plan for withdrawing American troops but said the proposal was just one option.
President Bush, who met with Gen George Casey on Friday, reiterated that any decision on troop reductions would be based on the situation in Iraq. Mr Bush says that US troops - about 127,000 in Iraq - will not step down until Iraqi forces are able to take over security.
The New York Times reported on Saturday that Gen Casey had drafted a plan that would reduce US troops in September by two of the current 14 brigades in Iraq, and then cut to a total of five or six brigades by the end of 2007.
Democrats said the Casey plan appeared similar to their calls for the administration to draw up a timetable for troop withdrawal, and for which Republicans had accused them of wanting to "cut and run." Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, said the administration was planning reductions just before the November congressional elections.