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Bush to make fresh assessment of Iraqi military needs
President Bush, facing political pressure for troop cutbacks, said Tuesday he would make a fresh assessment about Iraq's needs for U.S. military help now that a new government has taken office in Baghdad.Bush also said Americans should not judge what's happening in Iraq solely on the basis of the unrelenting violence. "It is a difficult task to stop suicide bombers," Bush said at a news conference. Bush said progress was being achieved on the military and political fronts - as Iraqis are trained to handle their own security force and a new unity government begins works. Iraq's government will assess its security needs and its security forces and work with U.S. commanders, Bush said. "We haven't gotten to the point yet where the new government is sitting down with our commanders to come up with a joint way forward," the president said. "However, having said that, this is a new chapter in our relationship. In other words, we're now able to take a new assessment about the needs necessary for the Iraqis." One of Bush's top aides said the role of U.S. military in Iraq will change as the new government takes place. Posted by: Dan Darling 2006-05-24 |
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