Gen Petraeus' comments came as he and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker began testifying before Congress.
The testimony has been billed as "make or break" for President George W Bush's resolve to stay the course in Iraq.
A record 168,000 US troops are now in Iraq after 30,000 arrived in the surge between February and June.
In his testimony before the joint House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees, Gen Petraeus said that:
- "security incidents", including sectarian violence, had declined significantly since the surge
began;
- he envisioned the withdrawal of some 30,000 US troops by summer, beginning with 2,000 marines in September;
- he expected a decision on further troop cuts next March;
- improvements had been "uneven", and the situation in Iraq remained "difficult"
Speaking after Gen Petraeus, Mr Crocker said he believed it was possible for the US to see its goals achieved in Iraq.
He said security was attainable, but it would not be achieved quickly, warning that the path would be punctuated by setbacks.
General's warning
Gen Petraeus told the joint committees that troop numbers could be reduced to pre-surge level by next summer without jeopardising the security situation in Iraq.
| | SURGE HEARINGS - KEY DATES 10 Sept - Gen Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker begin two days of testimony in Congress 12 Sept - White House report to be released 13 Sept - President Bush TV address is expected |
But he warned that "a premature draw-down of our forces would likely have devastating consequences".
"While noting that the situation in Iraq remains complex, difficult and sometimes downright frustrating, I also believe that it is possible to achieve our objectives in Iraq over time, although doing so will be neither quick, nor easy," he said.
Before Gen Petraeus began his testimony, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos, Democrat, said President Bush's policies in Iraq had "created a fiasco".
Mr Lantos also called for a dramatic change of course, and said the US needed to get out of Iraq immediately.
Gen Petraeus said his testimony had not been cleared by the Pentagon or the White House before he gave it, and that he had written it himself.
His testimony was slightly delayed after a microphone did not work. Several hecklers were also removed from the hearing.
Shortly before his testimony, the US military said nine of its troops died in Iraq on Monday, including seven in what it described as a vehicle accident in Baghdad.
Iraq survey
The Congressional hearings come as a new opinion poll suggested about 70% of Iraqis believe security has deteriorated in the area covered by the surge.
The survey by the BBC, ABC News and NHK of more than 2,000 people across Iraq also suggests that nearly 60% see attacks on US-led troops as justified.
However, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki said violence since the surge began had fallen 75% in the provinces of Baghdad and Anbar, and that 14,000 militants linked to al-Qaeda had renounced violence.
"We have succeeded in preventing Iraq from sliding into the abyss of a sectarian war which was threatening our beloved country," Mr Maliki told the Iraqi parliament on Monday.
BBC defence correspondent Rob Watson says rarely has the testimony of a US general to Congress received so much advanced billing.
He says Gen Petraeus has become something of a talisman for President Bush - the commander he has entrusted to rescue his policy in Iraq.
President Bush is hoping the general's more upbeat message on security will be enough to stave off calls for a timeline for a US withdrawal, our correspondent says.
Last Thursday Democrats seized on a report from a key US security commission recommending a cut in troop numbers by early 2008.
Mr Bush, who decides on force levels in Iraq, has said he will follow advice from commanders on the ground, rather than bowing to political pressure.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6986461.stm
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