US President George W. Bush rejected calls for a measured withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, even as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, facing doubts about his ability to dampen violence, asserted his forces could take full control by June.
A day after publication of a leaked White House memo questioning al-Maliki's leadership capabilities, Bush shared a news conference stage with him on Thursday and offered what sounded like unconditional support.
"He's a strong leader," Bush said. "He's the right guy for Iraq."
Still, Bush and his advisers acknowledged formidable challenges for the Iraqi leader in quelling rising sectarian violence.
"There is a real sense of urgency, but there is not a sense of panic," said Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security adviser and the author of a leaked memo that underscored doubts about al-Maliki.
The US president used the news conference in Jordan's capital to pre-empt of reports that the Iraq Study Group headed by former US secretary of state James Baker and Democratic former congressman Lee Hamilton would call for a phased withdrawal of troops to begin.
"I know there's a lot of speculation that these reports in Washington mean there's going to be some kind of graceful exit out of Iraq," Bush said.
He said if there is talk of a timetable, "all that does is set people up for unrealistic expectations."
Al-Maliki, meanwhile, declared in an interview with ABC News that Iraqi forces would soon be in a position to take over security for the country -- a position US officials have questioned.
"I can say that Iraqi forces will be ready, fully ready to receive this command and to command its own forces, and I can tell you that by next June our forces will be ready," he said.
It's not the first time al-Maliki has spoken of a six-month time frame for having Iraqi soldiers and police up to speed. But his latest words could be seen as implicit OK for the US to prepare for the gradual withdrawal that is expected to be recommended by the Baker-Hamilton commission.
On the Air Force One flight back to Washington, Hadley said Bush would not act immediately on Iraq policy in light of the commission's coming report, but in "weeks rather than months."
"This is an important report," he said. "We are at an important stage on the issue of Iraq and it's not something we should shoot from the hip on."
Rising opposition to the war contributed to the Republican loss of both houses of Congress in midterm elections, and increasing calls for a change in strategy are coming from Democrats and many Republicans. Bush acknowledged the clamor and said he understood how a withdrawal might be popular.
Still, he declared, "We're going to stay in Iraq to get the job done, so long as the government wants us there."
Bush said he wanted to begin withdrawing troops "as soon as possible. But I'm a realist because I understand how tough it is inside of Iraq."
There are about 140,000 US forces in Iraq. In fact, the Pentagon is developing plans to send in four more battalions -- about 3,500 troops -- early next year, partly to boost security in Baghdad,
Bush said he and al-Maliki agreed to speed the training of Iraqi security forces and turn over more military responsibility to Iraqis.
But their meeting -- their third in person since al-Maliki took office last spring -- delivered little in the way of specifics, or new ideas for turning the tide in a war that has now raged three years and almost nine months, longer than US involvement in World War II.
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