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WASHINGTON -- President Bush spoke Monday with
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and stressed the
importance of the country's parliament completing
the draft of a new constitution.
At least 943 people, including U.S. troops, have
been killed since the Shiite-dominated government of
Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari announced his
government six weeks ago - an event that many
thought would curb the violence.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said
Bush is grateful to those who have been killed
defending freedom and said it's important that
Iraqis push forward with their constitution despite
the violence.
"Just to keep in perspective here, this is still
less than a year since we transferred sovereignty to
Iraq," McClellan said. "In that time period, Iraq
has made important strides on the political front.
... And it's important that they continue to move
forward on the political front, because that helps
improve the security front as well."
McClellan said Bush and Talabani also discussed the
importance of having all groups in Iraqi society
represented in the constitutional process.
Iraq's 275-member National Assembly has until Aug.
15 to draft the charter, which will be put to a
nationwide vote two months later. If adopted, it
will provide the basis for a general election by
Dec. 15, concluding a U.S.-sponsored political
process spanning nearly two years.
A chief problem in drafting the constitution has
been how to include Sunni Arabs, who have been
politically marginalized because of their boycott of
January's historic elections. The Sunnis have slowed
the process by making tough demands for their
participation, which has raised tensions with the
Shiite and Kurdish majority that dominates Iraq's
parliament and the government. Talabani is a Kurd.
"The president also congratulated President Talabani
and the Kurdish people on the formation of a unified
regional government," McClellan said. "They noted
how this demonstrates the importance of
reconciliation to the rest of Iraq."
Later, in the Rose Garden, Bush said the recent vote
in Iraq was pivotal.
"People in that country defied the car bombers, the
suiciders, the killers, those who fear freedom, and
said, `I'm going to go to the polls, no matter what
the risk is,'" Bush told 200 students from Muslim
countries who are in Washington as part of the State
Department-sponsored Partnerships for Learning,
Youth Exchange and Study program.
"Democracy is on the march," he said. "Freedom is on
the march. And I'm convinced we're just seeing the
beginnings of it, and the world is going to be more
peaceful because of it."
AP
White House:
http://www.whitehouse.gov
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