United States President George W Bush on Thursday ordered an indefinite suspension in troops withdrawal from Iraq after July, to enable military commanders evaluate future troop reductions, in the war-torn country.
In a televised speech, Bush said he had told the top United States commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, that he "will have all the time he needs" to carry out the review.
Making it clear that the bulk of the American fighting force in Iraq is going to stay put right through the end of his tenure next year, Bush reduced the combat tours of US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan to 12 months from 15 months.
"General Petraeus has reported that security conditions have improved enough to withdraw all five surge brigades by the end of July. That means that by July 31, the number of US combat brigades in Iraq will be down by 25 percent from last year," Bush said.
"Petraeus also says he'll need time to consolidate his forces and assess how this reduced American presence will affect conditions on the ground before making measured recommendations on further reductions," he added.
Bush also warned Iran in his speech that it faced a choice on Iraq -- live in peace with its neighbour or continue to arm and fund terror outfits.
"If Iran opts for the second alternative, Washington will act to protect its interests and that of Iraq's," Bush said.
"Serious and complex challenges remain in Iraq, from the presence of Al Qaida to the destructive influence of Iran to hard compromises needed for further political progress. Yet, with the surge, a major strategic shift has occurred."
"I have directed the secretary of defense to reduce the deployment lengths from 15 months to 12 months for all active army soldiers to the Central Command area of operations," Bush said, adding it would be effective from August 1.
He further dismissed criticisms from Democrats, who had earlier said that freezing the troop withdrawals would be committing the United States to an open-ended engagement in Iraq.
"None of our operations in Iraq will be on hold," he vowed. "Instead, we will use the months ahead to take advantage of the opportunities created by the surge. And continue operations across the board," Bush remarked.