At the East Room news conference, Bush said al-Maliki was very clear in
stating that "he does not want American troops to leave his country until his
government can protect the Iraqi people. And I assured him that America will not
abandon the Iraqi people."
It was not clear how many U.S. troops will be in Baghdad as a result of the
new plan. About two weeks ago, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said that
the number of Iraqi and U.S. troops in Baghdad had recently grown from 40,000 to
55,000.
Bush and al-Maliki met alone with only a translator in the room for about 70
minutes before others joined the talks, Bush national security adviser Stephen
Hadley told reporters.
Under the plan to beef up security in Baghdad, forces would comb different
neighborhoods to establish a police presence, "giving some reassurance to the
population there that, in a way, the sheriff has arrived," Hadley said.
Bush complimented the beleaguered leader for his courage and perseverance in
the face of sectarian violence. Recent attacks have sapped political support for
the more than three-year-old war in Iraq, in both the United States and Iraq.
On Lebanon, the administration insists that Hezbollah must first return two
captured Israeli soldiers and stop firing missiles into Israel before any
cease-fire.
"I told him (al-Maliki) I support a sustainable cease-fire that will bring
about an end to violence," Bush said.
Al-Maliki sidestepped a question at the White House news conference about his
position on Hezbollah.
"Here, actually, we're talking about the suffering of a people in a country.
And we are not in the process of reviewing one issue or another, or any
government position," al-Maliki said.
Democrats criticized al-Maliki's comments. "Prime Minister Maliki missed an
important opportunity to state his position on Hezbollah, and instead left the
impression that he does not oppose this terrorist organization's outrageous
attacks on Israel," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.
Kerry called on Maliki to strongly condemn the use of terror anywhere,
including by Hezbollah against Israel in his speech to Congress on Thursday.
Responding to the Democratic criticism, Hadley said "there's an opportunity
here I hope we don't miss," and he urged lawmakers to take advantage of the fact
that a democratically elected Iraqi leader was about to address Congress. "It's
been an issue for Republicans and Democrats, how to get Iraq right," the White
House adviser said.
After al-Maliki's speech to Congress on Wednesday, Bush was taking him to
nearby Fort Belvoir, Va., for a meeting with U.S. troops and their families.
Both leaders will "thank them for their courage and their sacrifice," Bush said.
The president said improved military conditions outside Baghdad will make it
possible to move U.S. military police and other forces to the capital, where an
estimated 100 people a day are being killed. The crimes, blamed largely on
sectarian death squads, usually go unsolved.
Al-Maliki said the most important element of a new security program "is to
curb the religious violence."
Iraq's government must have a policy that "there is no killing and
discrimination against anyone," al-Maliki said.
U.S. officials believe control of Baghdad - the political, cultural and
economic hub of the country will determine the future of Iraq.
U.S. and Iraqi soldiers captured six members of an alleged death squad in
Baghdad on Tuesday, while attacks elsewhere in Iraq left more than two dozen
dead.
Al-Maliki met Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld at the Pentagon for about
an hour. "He is very focused clearly on the Baghdad situation and he recognizes
that it is not a military problem as such, it is a combination of political and
military and economic," Rumsfeld said.
According to Pentagon spokesman Eric Ruff, no final decision has been made on
exactly how many U.S. forces will be shifted to Baghdad, but that there will be
a range of forces that include both U.S. and Iraqi troops.
