This chart, "Recommended Force Reductions/Mission Shift," was exhibited by the U.S. military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, at his testimony before a joint session of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees on September 10, 2007. General Petraeus's testimony marked the first time a U.S. official proposed "strategic overwatch" as the final phase of the U.S. military mission in Iraq. "Strategic overwatch" suggests an indefinite commitment of U.S. troops to bases in Iraq, paralleling earlier administration comparisons of Iraq and South Korea. The chart implies that 30,000 to 40,000 U.S. troops would remain in Iraq beyond 2011.
