'Petraeus & Crocker beating Iran war drum'

NO US MILITARY WITHDRAWAL, ON THE TABLE

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The top U.S. officials in Iraq told Senate committees Tuesday that Iranian agents and weapons are fueling the ongoing strife there and that further U.S. troop withdrawals will have to wait.


They will report on the progress following the troop surge beginning a year ago by sending another 30,000 US troops into the war-torn country.

Democrats are calling for further troop cuts in and around Baghdad blaming the Bush administration for ignoring a rising Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan in need of more troop deployments.

The Bush administration is seeking $100 billion between now and September to continue the fight in Iraq and is to seek a 'pause' in a series of troop withdrawals that began last fall.

Petraeus: Basra fighting to last months
Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:32:49

Gen. David Petraeus (L) and Ryan Crocker

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's crackdown on gunmen in Basra is expected to last months, the US Army commander in Iraq says.

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