WASHINGTON, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The United States is gearing up plans to reduce the number of its troops in Iraq, though political gridlock and waves of sectarian violence continue in the country, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

    U.S. commanders, involved in a war which is becoming increasingly unpopular at home, are moving ahead with the steps necessary to start drawing down the 132,000 American soldiers in Iraq by the end of this year, the report said.

    The U.S. military has closed or handed over 30 smaller bases to Iraqi forces and are turning to smaller units to support Iraqi police and military forces, it added.

    "I think the downward trend is a trend that, based on what I see right now, is one that will continue," John Abizaid, U.S. commander in the Middle East and Central Asia, was quoted as saying.

    Once U.S. troops are consolidated at half a dozen big bases, much American military work will be done by small teams working with Iraqis.

    U.S. forces will provide logistical support and air power, and serve as a quick-reaction force if the Iraqis need help. The shift in U.S. responsibilities should enable significant numbers of soldiers to head home, the report said.

    No firm decision or formal announcement on reductions are likely before Iraqi leaders form a government -- a process that has taken several months and stoked civil order, and military officials in Iraq and Washington worry that pulling U.S. troops back from Iraqi cities or bringing them home could further escalate sectarian fighting that Iraqi forces would be unable to quell on their own, the report said.

    The U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and others have argued that if U.S. troops stay too long, Iraqi forces will not become capable of fending for themselves, and senior military officials also worry that the large U.S. presence in the country could be fuelling the insurgency.

    In addition, as the American public's support for the war has diminished, U.S. commanders begin to feel pressure to cut troops levels and reduce fatalities, according to the report. Enditem