President Bush Embraces Pause In Troop Cutbacks

WHITE HOUSE (AP) - President Bush is ordering an indefinite halt
in U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq after July.
The decision follows one of the key recommendations of his top
war commander, General David Petraeus, who the president says will
"have all the time he needs" to evaluate further withdrawals.
The president has also announced that he will seek to relieve
the heavy strain on the Army by reducing the length of combat tours
in Iraq and Afghanistan to 12 months, down from the current level
of 15 months.
He says the change will take effect on August 1st, and will
affect U.S. forces already deployed on the front lines.
The president says U.S. forces have made major gains since he
ordered a buildup of about 30,000 U.S. troops, saying that they
have "renewed and revived the prospect of success."