From CounterPunch
By Patrick Cockburn

President George Bush flew into a US airbase in Anbar province in western Iraq yesterday to announce that recent American military successes would allow a reduction in the 160,000-strong US force in Iraq.

He said that, judging by what he had been told by US commander General David Petraeus and ambassador Ryan Crocker, “it will be possible to maintain the same level of security with fewer American forces.”

Mr Bush chose to visit Anbar because the split between the Sunni tribes and al-Qai’da in Iraq has led to a sharp reduction in attacks on US forces in this vast western province which is mostly desert aside from the Euphrates valley.

The administration has had some success in persuading US public opinion and media that the military escalation known as “the surge” which started in February is having a measure of success. Gen Petraeus and Mr Crocker are to report on the impact of “the surge” when they testify to Congress on 10 September. Since they will be reporting on their own efforts it is likely they will report significant progress.

The reduction in American troop numbers Mr Bush suggested is probably inevitable given the strain Iraq is placing on American military resources and the public pressure domestically.

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