Sen. John Warner, a prominent Republican on military affairs, urged President Bush on Thursday to start bringing some troops home by Christmas — a move the senator said would send a powerful warning to the Iraqi government that time is running out.

Warner, R-Va., who spent the morning at the White House meeting with Bush's top aides, said the president next month should announce the withdrawal of a certain number of troops to send a "sharp and clear message throughout the region and the United States" that the commitment in Iraq is not open ended.

"We simply cannot as a nation stand and continue to put our troops at continuous risk of loss of life and limb without beginning to take some decisive action," he told reporters.

Warner visited Iraq this month with Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Warner is a ranking member of the panel and former chairman.

The Virginia Republican said he still would not support Democratic legislation championed by Levin that would call for Bush to bring troops home by a certain date.

"Let the president establish the timetable for withdrawal, not the Congress," he said.