For the next election (in December), it wouldn't surprise me to see it go right back up to 160,000 again.

If he can promote from within, or bring somebody in who's been part of the operation in some other capacity, he likes to do that,

General Casey could determine after the elections that, I want more, for whatever reason, ... and then he'll get more.

He's presented a variety of alternative approaches that could occur after the election, but again it's all based on waiting to see how it goes and waiting and watching as we continue to hand over responsibility to the Iraqis,

If somebody comes back to me and says there's nothing wrong with the Department of Defense paying journalists, I'll say, 'Even if there's nothing wrong, does it make sense ?

In July, he had one assessment. He has an assessment now that could still result in what he said earlier, it could result in no change, it could result in more.

On behalf of these fine young men and women, we certainly regret any perception that they were told what to say. It is not the case.

The next step in the process is that the president will decide whether or not he's going to send it to the Congress as is,

it's a decision the Uzbek government has to make as to whether or not we would continue to operate from that.

As you continue to either close or turn over these bases, it's just self-evident that there would be some reduced need for the American presence in those areas,