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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| Hope returning to Iraq, says Bush | Hope returning to Iraq, says Bush |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| US President George W Bush has said hope is returning to Iraq following the US troop surge last year. | US President George W Bush has said hope is returning to Iraq following the US troop surge last year. |
| Visiting a US base in Kuwait, Mr Bush said the withdrawal of 20,000 troops by July was on track, but no decision had been taken to bring home more. | Visiting a US base in Kuwait, Mr Bush said the withdrawal of 20,000 troops by July was on track, but no decision had been taken to bring home more. |
| Mr Bush was briefed by the commander of US forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and later met some of the 15,000 troops stationed at the base. | Mr Bush was briefed by the commander of US forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and later met some of the 15,000 troops stationed at the base. |
| He is touring the Gulf after meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. | He is touring the Gulf after meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. |
| Correspondents say he is trying to persuade some of his key Arab allies to support his Middle East peace initiative. | Correspondents say he is trying to persuade some of his key Arab allies to support his Middle East peace initiative. |
| Mr Bush also urged Iran and Syria to do more to reduce violence. | Mr Bush also urged Iran and Syria to do more to reduce violence. |
| Tehran's role in fomenting violence had been exposed, and Syria should further reduce the flow of militants into Iraq, he said. | Tehran's role in fomenting violence had been exposed, and Syria should further reduce the flow of militants into Iraq, he said. |
| Later Gen Petraeus said that attacks in Iraq linked to Iranian "explosively formed projectiles" had doubled or even trebled in recent days. | Later Gen Petraeus said that attacks in Iraq linked to Iranian "explosively formed projectiles" had doubled or even trebled in recent days. |
| 'Hope returning' | 'Hope returning' |
| Mr Bush met Gen Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador in Iraq, at a command centre at the US base at Arifjan, where an intelligence team monitors developments on the ground in Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. | Mr Bush met Gen Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador in Iraq, at a command centre at the US base at Arifjan, where an intelligence team monitors developments on the ground in Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. |
| Gen Petraeus and Mr Crocker were expected to brief the president on the improving security situation in Iraq. Iraq is now a different place from one year ago - we must do all we can to ensure that 2008 will bring even greater progress George W Bush Middle East tour diary class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4023&edition=1">Send us your comments | |
| Mr Bush said that the increase in US troop levels by 30,000 last year had turned Iraq into a country where hope was now returning. | Mr Bush said that the increase in US troop levels by 30,000 last year had turned Iraq into a country where hope was now returning. |
| "The new way forward I announced a year ago changed our approach in fundamental ways," he said. | "The new way forward I announced a year ago changed our approach in fundamental ways," he said. |
| "Iraq is now a different place from one year ago. | "Iraq is now a different place from one year ago. |
| "We must do all we can to ensure that 2008 will bring even greater progress," he said. | "We must do all we can to ensure that 2008 will bring even greater progress," he said. |
| No further decision would be taken on bringing troops home, he said, although plans to withdraw 20,000 by the middle of the year were on track. | No further decision would be taken on bringing troops home, he said, although plans to withdraw 20,000 by the middle of the year were on track. |
| Any new reduction of troop levels would depend on conditions on the ground, he added, and it was up to Gen Petraeus to decide whether this was possible. | Any new reduction of troop levels would depend on conditions on the ground, he added, and it was up to Gen Petraeus to decide whether this was possible. |
| Gen Petraeus is due to brief the president again in March. | Gen Petraeus is due to brief the president again in March. |
| After rounding off his first trip as president to Israel and the West Bank, Mr Bush held talks with Sheikh Sabah, in Kuwait city. | After rounding off his first trip as president to Israel and the West Bank, Mr Bush held talks with Sheikh Sabah, in Kuwait city. |
| The US president will continue to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. | The US president will continue to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. |
| Iran factor | Iran factor |
| Mr Bush's aim is to encourage them to back Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as he negotiates with the Israelis. | Mr Bush's aim is to encourage them to back Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as he negotiates with the Israelis. |
| This is phase two of what many regard as "mission impossible", the BBC's Matthew Price reports from Kuwait City. | This is phase two of what many regard as "mission impossible", the BBC's Matthew Price reports from Kuwait City. |
| Mr Bush hopes to encourage states like Kuwait to start a process of reaching out to Israel. | Mr Bush hopes to encourage states like Kuwait to start a process of reaching out to Israel. |
| One problem, our correspondent notes, is that what concerns Gulf states like Kuwait the most is not the Israeli-Palestinian issue, but Iran and Washington's intentions towards it. | One problem, our correspondent notes, is that what concerns Gulf states like Kuwait the most is not the Israeli-Palestinian issue, but Iran and Washington's intentions towards it. |
| Gulf leaders will be telling Mr Bush they want the stand-off resolved peacefully, not through military means, our correspondent says. | Gulf leaders will be telling Mr Bush they want the stand-off resolved peacefully, not through military means, our correspondent says. |