Bush targets Iraq policy change by Christmas
By Joan Warrack,WNS US Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush will work on a new approach to Iraq in meetings with top advisors next week, and could announce the strategy before Christmas, the White House said. Pressure is building on Bush after he distanced himself from several key recommendations put forward by a top bipartisan commission this week, which called for a complete overhaul of US policy to avert Iraq's slide into chaos. He will frame his decision in talks with his secretaries of state and defence, military commanders and US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, as well as outside experts. The White House says Bush carefully studied the Iraq Study Group report, and is awaiting results of several key internal reviews of Iraq policy.
"He's going to take all that information ... and boil that down," for the "new way forward that he wants to have in Iraq, because he knows that that's necessary," said White House deputy spokeswoman Dana Perino. The goal is for Bush "to be able to give a speech before Christmas (December 25), but it's not set in stone," Perino said. The Iraq Study Group report, which warns that the situation in Iraq is "grave and deteriorating," called for most US combat troops to be withdrawn by early 2008, talks with Iran and Syria, and for a new Middle East peace effort. Bush, who admitted on Thursday that "we need a new approach" in Iraq, also discussed the situation there with top congressional leaders Friday. "We talked about the need for a new way forward in Iraq, and we talked about the need to work together on this important subject," Bush said. But incoming Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, was more combative, saying: "the time for change is now and it is apparent to the American people ... hopefully the president has got the message."
The president will visit the State Department on Monday then convene top outside experts on Iraq in the Oval Office. On Tuesday, he will have a video-conference with military commanders and Khalilzad. Wednesday will see Bush at the Pentagon, Perino said. Bush has already said that even the commission did not expect him to agree with every recommendation, amid signs that the White House may pick-and-choose ideas which suit it from each review of the conflict.
posted by wnsworld @ 3:30 PM
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