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 30 August 2008 09:02 BST

Bush urges Brown to avoid Iraq withdrawal timetable

Sunday, 15 Jun 2008 13:24
The US president said troop levels should be based on the situation in Iraq rather than political considerations
US president George Bush has urged prime minister Gordon Brown to avoid announcing a timetable for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq.

In an interview with the Observer newspaper, the US head of state said decisions about withdrawals should only be based on commander's recommendations and not be pre-determined.

Referring to Mr Brown, the US president said: "I am confident that he, like me, will listen to our commanders to make sure that the sacrifices that have gone forward won't be unravelled by draw-downs that may not be warranted at this point in time. I look forward to discussing it with him."

Mr Bush also said that he was still in favour of invading Iraq even though mistakes had been made about its possession of weapons of mass destruction.

While he acknowledged that the people of Iraq were going through hardship since the invasion, he added that the US had created a "free society" in the country and that the removal of Saddam Hussein had insured freedom for the Iraqi people.

Speaking about his relationship with former prime minister Tony Blair, the US head of state said they shared an "idealism" and a belief that an ideological struggle was ongoing in the world which required action in order to curb the threat.

During his final tour of Europe as president, Mr Bush has praised the United States' relationship with Italy, France, Germany and the UK in a move seen by analysts to strengthen US ties with Europe.

He is due to hold talks with Gordon Brown later today.End of story


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