Weakened Bush firm on Iraq
2006-11-14 07:28
Washington - US President George W Bush, sticking to his guns despite a stinging election defeat, rejected new overtures to Iran and Syria on Monday and opposed a fixed timetable for a US withdrawal from Iraq.
The US state department also confirmed it had given up for now on an offer to Tehran to hold talks on the situation in Iraq as a stand-alone issue apart from the Islamic republic's suspected nuclear weapons programme.
Bush met behind closed doors with a heavyweight commission tasked with coming up with a new, politically feasible ways to fight and win the unpopular war and said later that he eagerly expected their "interesting ideas".
"I believe it is very important, though, for people making suggestions to recognise that the best military options depend upon the conditions on the ground," he said as he met later with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
That kept Bush on a collision course with opposition Democrats, who captured the US congress on November 7 and have quickly vowed to push ahead with a phased withdrawal of US troops within four to six months.
Bush's comments came after a private meeting with the Iraq Study Group, led by former US secretary of state James Baker and former Democratic lawmaker Hamilton, which is expected to unveil far-reaching Iraq advice next month.
The panel, which will also interview Democrats, has been reportedly considering proposals that include a call for the United States and its allies to make new diplomatic overtures to Iran and Syria to help US-led efforts in Iraq and Middle East peacemaking in general.
Iran and Syria
But Bush and Olmert jointly rejected making new overtures to Iran and Syria unless Tehran forswears sensitive nuclear work and Damascus changes its Lebanon policy, and both take steps to help pacify Iraq and build a democracy there.
"If the Iranians want to have a dialogue with us, we have shown them a way forward, and that is for them to verifiably suspend their enrichment activities," said Bush.
The US president also called for a renewed global effort to punish Iran if it does not freeze sensitive nuclear activities that the West fears are part of an atomic weapons programme.
"It's very important for the world to unite with one common voice to say to the Iranians that, if you choose to continue forward, you'll be isolated," Bush added.
"There has to be a consequence for their intransigence.
"We would love to be able to have negotiations with Syria, but that must be based on a certain reasonable, responsible policy, which is not preformed by Syria for the time being," said Olmert.
- AFP