|
Bush rejects setting Iraq withdrawal
timetable
24.6.2005
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - President George
W. Bush told Iraq's prime minister on Friday he will
set no timetables for withdrawing U.S. troops from
Iraq and acknowledged that the road ahead will not
be easy.
The president, who spoke as more violence raged in
Iraq and the Pentagon said five U.S. Marines and one
sailor were presumed killed in a suicide attack,
said: "We are there to complete a mission."
"If you give a timetable, you're conceding too much
to the enemy," he added with Iraqi Prime Minister
Ibrahim al-Jaafari at his side. "You don't have to
worry, Mr. Prime Minister, about timetables."
|
President G.W.Bush
Photo: White house |
|
It
was a blunt rejection of calls from some members of
the U.S. Congress for the administration to develop
a plan to begin a withdrawal.
He spoke as polls show American support for the Iraq
war in decline and acknowledged that Iraq faces
"monumental tasks" in the coming months, including
the drafting of a permanent Iraqi constitution and
moving forward with another round of elections.
He urged both Americans and Iraqis to show resolve.
"Yet at every step of the way, so far, the Iraqi
people have met their strategic objectives and the
terrorists have failed to stop them," Bush said.
"The way ahead is not going to be easy," Bush added.
"The enemy's goal is to drive us out of Iraq before
the Iraqis have established a secure, democratic
government. They will not succeed."
"We're optimistic. We're optimistic that more and
more Iraqi troops are becoming better trained to
fight the terrorists. We're optimistic about the
constitutional process," Bush said.
Reuters
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 