WASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The US Army expects to reduce its troop levels in Iraq gradually starting this summer, but no significant reduction is likely until sometime between 2006 and 2008, a senior Army general said Thursday.

    General Richard Cody, the Army's vice chief of staff, told Pentagon reporters that when the military starts its next round ofrotation in the summer, the number of US force in Iraq will becomesmaller.

    "I think for the next force rotation, we'll start seeing that the) force rotation coming in will be smaller than the force that's in there," he said.

    Cody declined to give a specific number on the expected troop level later this year. The number of American troops in Iraq is expected to go down to 138,000, the pre-election level, from the current 150,000 before the end of this month.

    The additional troops of 12,000, whose duties were extended because of the January election, are scheduled to leave within twoweeks.

    Cody said any significant reduction of US troops in Iraq will depend on the progress in the training of Iraqi security forces, atask he said would not be achieved overnight.

    About 140,000 Iraqi soldiers and police have received training and equipment, but the Bush administration has expressed disappointment over their performance.

    US President George W. Bush said Wednesday that US troop will not leave Iraq until Iraqi security forces were capable of defending itself. "Our troops will come home when Iraqis are capable of defending themselves," he said. Enditem