"Abizaid said he was encouraged by what he saw when he visited the region recently.

"I remain optimistic that we can stabilize Iraq," he said.

"While sectarian violence remains high and worrisome, it's certainly not as bad as the situation appeared back in August," he said.

"I wouldn't say that we have turned the corner in this regard, but it's not nearly as bad as it was back in August, and I was encouraged by that."

"Asked whether more troops are needed in Iraq, Abizaid said, "I believe that the troop levels need to stay where they are."

"He added, though, that "it is possible that we might have to go up in troop levels in order to increase the number of forces that go into the Iraqi security forces, but I believe that is only temporary."

Arf