Anthony H. Cordesman, a military expert and consistent critic of the Bush administration's strategy in Iraq, released a report yesterday calling for "strategic patience" in the nation's approach to the war, describing the U.S. military's modest security gains amid dire assessments of the lack of political progress in Iraq.

In his 25-page analysis -- titled "The Tenuous Case for Strategic Patience in Iraq" -- Cordesman wrote that the United States "does not have good options in Iraq and cannot dictate its future, only influence it," and that it is up to the Iraqi government to make strides toward stability. A precipitous withdrawal of U.S. troops probably would not help matters, he wrote, but if the Iraqis make progress, then Congress and the U.S. military need to work toward gradual troop reductions that reflect realities on the ground.

"The real case for strategic patience . . . is not the high probability of success in most areas, but the reasonable prospect of success in some areas," wrote Cordesman, a scholar with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. He added that key elements of the president's troop increase strategy, however, "remain discouraging."

The assessment comes just weeks before a much-awaited report on Iraq by Gen. David H. Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker is due to Congress. Cordesman and other members of Washington think tanks have been touring the battlefield in Iraq in recent weeks and have written reports aimed at influencing the debate over U.S. war strategy. Much of their analysis has included a more positive view of recent U.S. military actions, while emphasizing how the Iraqi government has hindered overall progress.

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