Bush to decide early withdrawals from Iraq

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Source: CCTV.com | 03-25-2008 08:54

The US military says four of its soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb in Iraq on Sunday. The attack brings the death toll of US soldiers to 4,000.

US President Bush(R), accompanied by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, offers sympathy to families of soldiers killed. (CCTV.com)

President George W. Bush has offered sympathy to families of soldiers killed.

He will probably decide this week whether to withdraw more troops from Iraq ahead of schedule.

President Bush has promised to ensure an outcome that will merit the sacrifice of those who have died in Iraq.

He offered both sympathy and resolve as the US death toll in the five year war hit 4,000.

George W. Bush, US President, said, "Every life is precious, in our sight. And, I guess my, my one thought I want to leave with those who still hurt is that, you know, one day people will look back at this moment in history and say 'thank god, there were courageous people willing to serve because they laid the foundation for peace for generations to come'. That I have vowed in the past and will vow so long as I am president to make sure those lives were not lost in vain."

The US military says four of its soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb in Iraq on Sunday. The attack brings the death toll of US soldiers to 4,000. (CCTV.com)

The president chaired a meeting of his national Security Council Monday where he was briefed by the US ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker and the top US military officer in Iraq, General David Petraeus.

Bush is likely to decide within the week whether to withdraw more troops from Iraq beyond his planned drawdown after the troop surge ends this summer.

The White House says Bush is likely to embrace an expected recommendation from Petraeus for a halt. There are expectations that a troop cut will restart before he leaves office.

Petreaus believes such a pause in drawdowns, lasting a month or two, is needed to assess the impact of the current round.