Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/president-bush-delivers-prospect-of-troop-cut-in-iraq Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript In an unannounced trip to Iraq, President Bush said U.S. troops could start to leave the country if security continues to improve as it has in the Anbar Province. Military correspondent Michael Gordon talks about the president's meetings with Iraqi leaders and an upcoming report to Congress. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. JUDY WOODRUFF: Today's developments in Iraq, we start with President Bush's quick and unannounced trip.President Bush bypassed Baghdad on his surprise trip to Iraq, instead landing at Al Assad Air Base in the western Sunni province of al-Anbar. He was greeted by his so called war-council, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker; Defense Secretary Robert Gates; and Army General David Petraeus. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, and Admiral William Fallon, the U.S. commander in the Middle East, were also there.In the 110-degree heat, the president visited with some of the 10,000 servicemen and women stationed in Anbar. The trip, his third since the war began, was shrouded in extreme secrecy for security reasons. MARINE PILOT: In 2005, our efforts were focused on population centers and the cities; now we're looking at more in the outskirts and the desert. JUDY WOODRUFF: Mr. Bush was briefed by a Marine Cobra pilot who said morale was "very high," but noted long and repeated tours in Iraq caused stress at home. MARINE PILOT: Our training time back at home is very limited. We've found ourselves taking post-deployment leave at the same time conducting pre-deployment training. And then stress on the families, year after year only being home for five months, it's become a little harder each time to get in that normal training back in the United States. JUDY WOODRUFF: There are 162,000 U.S. troops serving in Iraq, including the extra 30,000 sent by the president as part of the surge to secure Baghdad and surrounding areas.Mr. Bush also met with Iraq's leaders, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani. Al-Maliki's been criticized by U.S. politicians from both parties for not doing enough to tamp down violence and advance political reconciliation. Political and military gains will be at the center of Ambassador Crocker's and General Petraeus' report due to Congress next week.GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States: These two fine Americans will report to Congress next week, and I urge members of both parties in Congress to listen to what they have to say. Congress shouldn't jump to conclusions until the general and the ambassador report.When you stand on the ground here in Anbar and hear from the people who live here, you can see what the future of Iraq can look like.