Pentagon: consensus grows on Iraq force cuts

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Pentagon: consensus grows on Iraq force cuts

US forces in Iraq are likely to be reduced soon after elections there to about 140,000 and there is a "growing consensus" that even deeper cuts are possible, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday.

Lawrence DiRita, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said no decisions have been made on US force levels next year beyond drawing down the about 20,000 troops used for a temporary buildup through the December 15 elections.

"It is likely we will get down to the baseline after the election," DiRita told reporters, referring to the core force of about 140,000 troops the United States has maintained in Iraq since April 2004.

"I think there is a more or less growing consensus that as we continue to handover security responsibilities to Iraqi security forces it will be possible to further reduce beyond that baseline," he said.