WASHINGTON &#8212 President Bush will tell the nation this week he plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by as many as 30,000 by next summer, but will condition those and further cuts on continued progress, The Associated Press has learned.

In a prime-time television address, probably Thursday, Bush will endorse the recommendations of his top general and top diplomat in Iraq, following their appearance at two days of hearings in Congress, administration officials said. The White House plans to issue a written status report on the so-called “surge” on Friday, they said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Bush’s speech is not final. Bush was practicing the speech even as the U.S. commanding general, David Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker were presenting their arguments on Capitol Hill.

The reductions envisioned by the White House mirror those proposed by Petraeus and would leave approximately 130,000 U.S. troops on the ground by August 2008, roughly the same level that existed before the buildup early this year. Now, there are 168,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

In the speech, the president will say he understands the deep concerns Americans have about U.S. involvement in Iraq and the desire to bring the troops home. He’ll say that after hearing from Petraeus and Crocker, he has decided on a way that will reduce the number of troops but not abandon Iraq.

Bush will adopt Petraeus’ call for more time to determine the pace and scale of withdrawals below 130,000 and offer a report to Congress in March, officials said.