President George W. Bush claimed today that America's new strategy had reversed the security situation Iraq and the United States was on track to complete a limited withdrawal of 20,000 troops by mid-year.
After talks at a base in the Kuwaiti desert with his military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and the US ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, Mr Bush claimed security gains in Iraq "are allowing some US forces to return home".
He added: "Any additional reduction will be based on the recommendation of General Petraeus, and those recommendations will be based entirely on the conditions on the ground in Iraq."
With the Iraq war nearing the five-year mark, Bush has refused to discuss any further troop cuts for now, saying that will depend on his commanders' judgments. The limited phased withdrawal of 20,000 troops was announced by Bush in September.
Mr Bush said it's "fine with me" if generals recommend no more reductions than those already planned to take the force posture down to about 130,000.
Bush conceded that until last year, "our strategy simply wasn't working", with Iraq riven by sectarian violence and al Qaeda militants strengthening their grip in many areas. He said the new strategy, involving a troop buildup and a focus on counter-insurgency warfare, was turning things around.
"Iraq is now a different place from one year ago. Much hard work remains, but levels of violence are significantly reduced. Hope is returning to Baghdad, and hope is returning to towns and villages throughout the country," he said.
"Al Qaeda remains dangerous, and it will continue to target the innocent with violence. But we've dealt al Qaeda in Iraq heavy blows, and it now faces a growing uprising of ordinary Iraqis who want to live peaceful lives."
But he gave a sense of the long-term US commitment when he said in a television interview yesterday that the United States would have a presence in Iraq that could "easily" last a decade.
The war remains deeply unpopular among Americans, keeping Bush's approval ratings stuck around 30 per cent and below.