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The top U.S. commander in Iraq will recommend pulling U.S. troops out of some areas where commanders believe security has improved, the Los Angeles Times said on Wednesday, citing Bush administration officials.

Gen. David Petraeus's assessment of the situation in Iraq, to be issued in September, is regarded as pivotal amid pressure for President George W. Bush to change course in the conflict.

The newspaper on its Web site said that instead of reducing the overall number of U.S. troops in Iraq, Petraeus could call for them to be moved to other areas or for the creation of a reserve force in case of an increase in violence.

"That is the form of the recommendation we are anticipating him to come back with," the newspaper quoted a senior administration official as saying.

The newspaper said administration officials who supported current troop levels hope Petraeus's recommendation would stave off calls in the U.S. Congress for a major force reduction.

With the build-up in U.S. forces since the start of the year, there are nearly 162,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

Some administration officials told the Times they expected Petraeus to push to maintain current force levels for at least six more months to build on security improvements in Baghdad.

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