WASHINGTON, Sept 10 (Reuters) - The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, said on Monday a unit of Marines deployed as part of a surge of forces would leave Iraq this month and other units should follow in 2008.

"Later this month, the Marine Expeditionary United deployed as part of the surge will depart Iraq," Petraeus told Congress.

"Beyond that, if my recommendations are approved, that unit's departure will be followed by the withdrawal of a brigade combat team without replacement in mid-December and the further redeployment without replacement of four other brigade combat teams and the two surge Marine battalions in the first 7 months of 2008," he said.

A brigade normally has somewhere around 4,000 troops. A battalion typically consists of several hundred troops.

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