US President George W. Bush is expected to keep the number of US troops in Iraq basically at current level through the year-end before withdrawing 8,000 combat troops when he is leaving office next January.

The website of Washington Post quoted White House sources as saying Monday that the decision is based on recommendations of Bush's top military aides.

The president is expected to make a formal announcement about the decision Tuesday at his speech at the National Defense University.

There are some 147,000 US troops in Iraq at present.

(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2008)