As many as 4,000 U.S. soldiers to leave Iraq

The reduced number of troops in Iraq - from 124,000 to 120,000 by the end of October - marks the latest U.S. step in winding down the six-year war. The reduction was to be announced Wednesday by Army Gen. Ray Odierno.

"We have already begun deliberately drawing down our forces - without sacrificing security," Odierno said in a statement he was to deliver to the House Armed Services Committee.

"As we go forward, we will thin our lines across Iraq in order to reduce the risk and sustain stability through a deliberate transition of responsibilities to the Iraqi security forces," Odierno said.

A copy of the testimony was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. A Defense Department official confirmed Odierno planned to announce he is reducing the number of brigades in Iraq, as has been widely expected.

In his eight-page statement, Odierno voiced cautious optimism about Iraq's future. But his outlook for the nation he called an enduring U.S. interest was far from rosy.