Pace expected to advise Bush to cut troops

WASHINGTON — The departing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is expected to advise President Bush to reduce the U.S. force in Iraq next year by almost half.

Administration and military officials say Marine Gen. Peter Pace is likely to convey concerns that keeping a force of more than 100,000 troops in Iraq through 2008 would severely strain the military.

This assessment could collide with one being prepared by the U.S. commander in Iraq, Army Gen. David Petraeus, calling for the U.S. to maintain higher troop levels for the next year and beyond.

Pace's recommendations reflect the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which initially expressed skepticism in private about the strategy ordered by Bush and directed by Petraeus before publicly backing it.

According to administration and military officials, the Joint Chiefs believe it is of strategic importance to reduce the size of the U.S. force in Iraq to bolster the military's ability to respond to other threats, a view shared by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Pace is expected to offer his advice privately instead of issuing a formal report. Bush did not nominate Pace for a second term as chairman, and Pace will leave at the end of next month.

The position of Pace and the Joint Chiefs could add weight to that of Bush administration critics that the U.S. force should be reduced.

According to a senior administration official, the Joint Chiefs in recent weeks have pressed concerns that the Iraq war has degraded the U.S. military's ability to respond to other threats. The chiefs are pushing for a decrease in troop numbers once the buildup ends, perhaps to as low as 10 combat brigades, or about half of the 20 now in Iraq. Along with support units, that would lower the U.S. presence to fewer than 100,000 troops from 162,000.

But military leaders in Iraq and senior White House officials are pushing for return to about 15 brigades, or approximately 134,000 troops, once the current increase is over.

Meanwhile, Army Secretary Pete Geren said that he sees "no possibility" of extending soldiers' 15-month Iraq tours.

Material from The Associated Press is included in this report.