Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

    WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush will likely decide within this week whether to withdraw more troops from Iraq beyond his planned draw down after the troop "surge" ends this summer, his spokeswoman said Monday.

    Bush will discuss the issue with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. general in Iraq and U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker in a video-conference later in the day, Dana Perino, the White House press secretary, told media.

    She hinted that the president is likely to agree with Petraeus, who wants to "freeze" troop level for several months after the completion of the planned withdrawal of five combat brigades in July.

    Bush injected the five brigades into Iraq in January last year in a plan called as the "surge" to quell violence there.

    When the "surge" runs out of its course in July, the five brigades are due to go back to the United States, but the Bush administration remains uncommitted on further withdrawal.

    A decision on it will come soon, but it looks more likely that the U.S. military will keep the post-surge troop level of some 140,000 for a while, fearing recent security gains can't be held with a quick withdrawal.