Petraeus hints at Iraq troop cut

General David Petraeus, the top US military commander in Iraq, has hinted he will recommend a reduction in US troop numbers around March when he reports to congress next week.

"The surge will run its course. There are limits to what our military can provide, so, my recommendations have to be informed by - not driven by - but they have to be informed by the strain we have put on our military services," Petraeus said.<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

"That has to be a key factor in what I will recommend," he told ABC News in an interview at Camp Victory in Baghdad broadcast late on Tuesday.

Petraeus declined to be specific about the recommendations, which he gave to George Bush during the US president's surprise visit to Iraq on Monday.