"My sense is I will be able to make a recommendation at that time for some further reductions," General David Petraeus said in confirmation hearings on his appointment to become head of the US Central Command.

Petraeus' upbeat forecast came as President George W. Bush made a new push for public support for the war, telling army paratroopers back from Iraq that a hasty pullout would increase the chance of another September 11-type attack.

"Withdrawal before success would send a signal to terrorists and extremists across the world that America is weak and does not have the stomach for a long fight," he said at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

"Withdrawal before success would be catastrophic for our country," Bush added.

Senate Democrats, including presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, pressed Petraeus on how he would deal with the growing threat posed by Al-Qaeda in Pakistan, and a loss of momentum in Afghanistan.

He said more troops may be needed to pacify southern Afghanistan, but argued that Al-Qaeda's main effort was in Iraq and it was appropriate "to do everything that we can there to pursue Al-Qaeda in Iraq."

Petraeus said one of his first trips as the Centcom commander would be to Pakistan, whose new government has struck a peace deal with Taliban insurgents.

Despite the improved security in Iraq, Petraeus acknowledged that the US goal of turning all 18 provinces to Iraqi security control by the end of the year will not be met, in part because of violent conditions around Mosul in northern Iraq.

And he said provincial elections, a crucial step in Iraq's political consolidation, are likely to slip from October to November.

Petraeus said he would make recommendations on further troop cuts following the withdrawal of the last of five surge brigades in July and a 45-day period of consolidation and assessment.

"I do not mean to imply that that would be a BCT (brigade combat team) or some major formation -- but it could," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"But I do believe that there will be certain assets that, as we are already looking at the picture right now, we'll be able to recommend can be either redeployed or not deployed to the theater in the fall," he said.

A combat brigade consists of about 3,500 troops.

The general said security conditions have continued to improve despite the withdrawal of three of the five surge brigades, with security incidents falling last week to the lowest point in more than four years.

A chart he provided showed "weekly security incidents" -- attacks on infrastructure, roadside bombs, sniper and small arms attacks, and mortar, rocket and surface-to-air attacks -- dropping to about 400 in early May, from a peak of more than 1,500 a year ago.

The general attributed the improvement to military operations against Iranian-backed Shiite militias in the southern city of Basra and Baghdad's Sadr City.

Petraeus said he was looking for signs of Iran pulling back support for Shiite militias, or special groups.

"We know, though, that a number of the special group leaders have gone back to Iran, as they have been put under pressure in first Basra then other areas in the southern provinces and now in Sadr City," he said.

Petraeus was joined at the hearing by General Raymond Odierno, his former number two in Iraq and the Pentagon's choice to succeed Petraeus as the top general there.

The generals' confirmation appeared assured.

Senator Carl Levin, the committee chairman, said they would bring "unprecedented continuity of senior military leadership" with "unparalleled knowledge of the situation on the ground."

The change will put Petraeus in command of a vast portfolio of security challenges in a region that stretches from Afghanistan to Lebanon, and where demand for US military forces has exceeded the supply.

He faces a reconstituted al-Qaeda leadership in Pakistan, a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, an emboldened regime in Tehran, political strife in Lebanon, and instability in Somalia and the Horn of Africa.

"Engagement will be a central aspect of my responsibilities as the CENTCOM commander, if confirmed," Petraeus said.

"In most of the issues we'll address, a purely military approach is unlikely to succeed and our strategy must recognize that," he said.

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