He said he made clear to Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander, that conditions on the ground will determine whether further troop withdrawals can be made through the end of 2008.

"We will wait to see General Petraeus' evaluation in March as far as what we might be able to do in July," Gates said, adding that he remains hopeful that "the pace of the drawdowns in the first half of the year will continue in the second half of the year."

Gates said that Petraeus will submit his recommendations based on conditions and needs in theater.

Simultaneously, U.S. Central Command officials and the Joint Chiefs of Staff also will submit independent recommendations based on their respective responsibilities, taking into account stress on the force and regional and global requirements, the Pentagon said in a July 17 press release. President Bush will hear all three proposals.

This is the same process that happened in September, when Petraeus first recommended the five brigades begin leaving Iraq, the press release said.

"As it happened last September, each of them came at the problem with a different perspective and a little different emphasis," Gates said. "I want to make sure that the president has the opportunity to hear from these different perspectives and to ensure that his senior military advisors and commanders have the opportunity to present their views directly and unvarnished to the president."

Previously, Gates has expressed hopes that the U.S. military presence in Iraq can drop to around 100,000 troops before President Bush leaves office in 12 months' time.

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