Gen. Pace denies will urge troop cut in Iraq

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070824/ts_nm/iraq_usa_pace_dc

Gen. Pace denies will urge troop cut in Iraq

Fri Aug 24, 7:46 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday denied a newspaper report that he will urge President George W. Bush to cut U.S. troop levels in Iraq next year.


"The story is wrong," Marine Gen. Peter Pace said through a spokesman. "It is speculative. I have not made nor decided on any recommendations yet."

The Los Angeles Times, citing military and administration officials, said on Friday that Pace was expected to contend that keeping significantly more than 100,000 troops in Iraq through next year would severely strain the military and compromise its ability to respond to other threats.

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The Times said Pace would say it was strategically important to reduce U.S. deployments in Iraq. It said Pace would likely make that recommendation privately instead of in a formal report.