WASHINGTON – The top U.S. commander in Iraq told Congress on Tuesday that hard-won gains in the war zone are too fragile to promise any troop pullouts beyond this summer.Army Gen. David Petraeus held his ground against Democrats and refused to commit to more withdrawals before President Bush leaves office in January.Petraeus painted a picture of a nation struggling to suppress violence among its own people and move toward the political reconciliation Bush said a year ago is the ultimate aim of his new Iraq strategy, which included sending more than 20,000 extra combat troops.Security is getting better, and Iraq’s own forces are becoming more able, Petraeus said. But he also ticked off a list of reasons to worry, including the threat of a resurgence of Sunni or Shiite extremist violence. He highlighted Iran as a special concern, for its training and equipping of extremists.In back-to-back appearances before two Senate committees, Petraeus was told by Democrats that, after five years of war, it is past time to turn over much more of the war burden to the Iraqis. Those senators said Iraq will not attain stability until the United States decides to begin withdrawing in large numbers and forces the Iraqis to settle their differences.Petraeus didn’t budge. He said he had recommended to Bush that he complete, by the end of July, the withdrawal of the 20,000 extra troops. Beyond that, the general proposed a 45-day period of “consolidation and evaluation,” to be followed by an indefinite period of assessment before he would recommend any more pullouts.The Petraeus plan, which Bush is expected to embrace, reflects an approach that leaves open the possibility that about 140,000 U.S. troops could remain in Iraq when the president leaves office next year.In exchanges with several senators, Petraeus refused to say when he thinks it will be safe to resume troop reductions beyond July without risking “fragile and reversible” security gains.Petraeus said his plan is supported by Adm. Michael Mullen, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman.

Photo by Associated Press

Susan Walsh