Washington (AP) The Army lieutenant general who was the top commander in Iraq shortly after the fall of Baghdad says he supports legislation calling for most U.S. troops to come home within a year.

Delivering the Democrats' weekly radio address, Ricardo Sanchez supported a House bill put forward by Democrats, one that would pay for combat operations while setting a goal of ending combat by December of next year. The White House is threatening a veto, and Republicans in the Senate have kept it from passing.

Sanchez says Iraqi leaders have been willing to "make the hard choices necessary to bring peace to their country." He says the "courage and blood" of U.S. troops has brought about improvements in security.

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