Top US general in West Asia to retire: LA Times

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) The top US general in West Asia, Army Gen. John Abizaid, plans to retire and will leave his post in March, the Los Angeles Times newspaper said today.

It quoted unidentified Defense Department officials as saying Abizaid, who had resisted calls for an increase in US troops in Iraq, submitted his retirement documents over a month ago, shortly before then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld gave in his resignation.

The report came a day after the White House confirmed that President George W. Bush was considering a short-term increase in the number of US troops in Iraq as he prepares to announce a new war strategy next month.

The White House denied a report in the Washington Post that administration officials were at odds with the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff over troop levels.

''If you're going to change the strategy, in fairness to (Abizaid), let him go,'' the Times quoted a former senior Pentagon official as saying.

Abizaid had been due to end his four-year term as head of Central Command next July, but the Times said there had been speculation he would be asked to stay on to steer Iraq policy.

The newspaper said Abizaid's departure clears the way for new Defense Secretary Robert Gates to recommend his own commander.

Abizaid told Congress last month that Americans should stay and train local forces to eliminate raging sectarian violence in Iraq, but rejected calls to either boost troop levels or withdraw from the country.

REUTERS LL HS1721