President Barack Obama intends to pull US combat troops out of Iraq by August next year, US media reported yesterday, citing unnamed congressional officials.

Mr Obama told congressional leaders about his decision in a late Thursday meeting at the White House, CNN and the New York Times reported.

Both cited congressional sources. He also reportedly told the top legislators at the meeting that he plans to keep between 35,000 and 50,000 US support troops in Iraq.

The plan would pull combat troops out of Iraq 19 months after the President took office, slightly longer than the 16 months Mr Obama promised while on the campaign trail in 2008.

There are some 142,000 US troops currently stationed in Iraq. Under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed with the Iraqi government last year, Washington agreed to pull its troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011.

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