The top US commander in Iraq has drafted a plan for troop reductions in the Middle East country, with the first cuts coming in September this year, The New York Times reported Sunday.

The plan, drafted by General George Casey, projected sharp reductions in the US military presence in Iraq by the end of 2007, the report quoted US officials as saying.

According to a classified briefing at the Pentagon this week by Casey, the number of American combat brigades in Iraq was projected to decrease to five or six, from the current 14 by December 2007.

Under the plan, the first reductions would involve two combat brigades that would rotate out of Iraq in September without being replaced. Combat brigades, which generally have about 3,500 soldiers, do not make up the bulk of the 127,000-member American force in Iraq, and other kinds of units would not be pulled out as quickly, the report said.

If executed, the plan could have considerable political significance. The first reductions would take place before this fall's congressional elections, while even bigger cuts might come before the 2008 presidential election, the report said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 26, 2006)