BAGHDAD, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Iraq would be comfortable with a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops as long as such plans were discussed first with the government in Baghdad, the Iraqi government spokesman said on Monday. "I don't think there would be a problem with a gradual withdrawal that's agreed with the Iraqis," Ali al-Dabbagh told Reuters in response to testimony by the U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, who said American forces could be cut back to around 130,000 troops by the middle of next year. "But a sudden withdrawal is not in anyone's interest, not in the region's, not in Iraq's," added Dabbagh. It was unclear if Petraeus had consulted Iraq's government on the proposed timetable for reducing forces that he presented to the U.S. Congress in Washington.
