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GIS READY FOR HOMECOMING

Calm and unflinching, the four-star U.S. commander in Iraq impressed even hard-core war critics in Congress yesterday, announcing that some troops can begin coming home this month, 30,000 can return by next summer, and even more joyous reunions are on the horizon.

Gen. David Petraeus, delivering his long-awaited report with commanding skill, said there’s been “substantial” progress in fighting al Qaeda and sectarian violence that justifies the first troop drawdown of the four-year war.

The low-key but firm Petraeus – in his Army green laden with medals for his star turn under sparkling chandeliers – used color-coded charts and graphs to show a skeptical joint House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees that the current troop surge met its objectives “in large measure.”

Even Democrats who despise the war policy were deferential in the face of the top-notch general’s even-keeled demeanor and impressive rows of shiny silver stars, four to a shoulder.

“He’s one of the best,” said Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, who ran proceedings in the ornate hearing room and ordered a succession of protesters ejected when they shouted their anger at the war.

Because of the progress, Petraeus said he is urging President Bush to begin the drawdown later this month. It would start with the pullout of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, numbering about 2,000 troops.

Petraeus said that would be followed by the redeployment in December of an Army brigade, of 3,500 to 4,000 soldiers.

More troop cuts would continue in the first half of next year so that by July all of the 30,000 “surge” troops sent to Iraq this year would be withdrawn. He foresaw additional pullouts after that but recommended that Bush wait until March to decide.

Petraeus continues testimony today to the Senate, and it is expected that Bush will speak to the nation about Iraq on Thursday night.

The no-nonsense military leader didn’t specify how soon or how large the later reductions would be. But he presented a chart that visualized only five brigades remaining – about one fourth of the current force – and most of the troops in a “partnering” role with Iraqi security.

The general said he had briefed higher-ups in the chain of command but wrote his report himself. “It has not been cleared by, nor shared with anyone in the Pentagon, the White House or Congress,” he said of his testimony.

Under questioning, Petraeus rejected charges that the drawdown was too little.

When Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) called it a “token withdrawal,” Petraeus quickly replied it was “a very substantial withdrawal.”

He claimed “substantial” progress in security matters in the past year, including a 55 percent drop in ethnic/sectarian deaths and a month-by-month decline in car bombings and suicide attacks. He said that when he testified on Capitol Hill in January “no one would have dared to forecast that Anbar province would have been transformed the way it has in the past six months.”

Neither would anyone have predicted then that residents of al Qaeda strongholds would volunteer to fight al Qaeda or that Shiite leaders would accept significant numbers of Sunni Muslims in the police force of Abu Ghraib, he added.

The U.S. and Iraqi forces also captured a number of Iran-backed Shiite leaders, including the deputy commander of a Hezbollah guerrilla force from Lebanon that is being trained and armed by Iran’s Qods Force.

Iran, he said, is trying to fight “a proxy war” in Iraq with the United States.

“These elements have assassinated and kidnapped Iraqi government leaders, killed and wounded our soldiers with advanced explosive devices provided by Iran, and indiscriminately rocketed civilians in the [Baghdad] International Zone and elsewhere,” he said.

Petraeus conceded the success stories have not been uniform across Iraq.

The level of civilian deaths and high-profile attacks is “still too high,” he said. Iraq has continuing problems with corruption and inadequate “government capacity,” he added.

Earlier, a protester who called Iraqis “beautiful people” and accused Petraeus of lying was quickly removed during the general’s remarks. Before the general spoke, the anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan was among those arrested for shouting in the room.

An exasperated Skelton said protesters who disrupted proceedings would be prosecuted. “There will be no disturbances,” he vowed.

Petraeus was followed to the witness table by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who strongly suggested the surge had prevented a catastrophe.

Last year was a “bad year for Iraq. The country came close to unraveling politically, economically and in security terms; 2007 has brought improvement,” he said.

But al Qaeda “overplayed its hand” in Anbar.

“Anbar began to reject its excesses, be they beheading schoolchildren or cutting off people’s fingers for smoking,” Crocker said.

Meanwhile, a spokesman in Baghdad said the Iraqis could live with a measured withdrawal. “I don’t think there would be a problem with a gradual withdrawal that’s agreed with the Iraqis,” spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

With Post Wire Services

andy.soltis@nypost.com