Iraq: Bush meets top generals

2006-10-21 16:34

Washington - President George W Bush was to meet on Saturday with his top military commanders to mull possible changes to the US military's strategy in Iraq in the face of unremitting violence in the country, the White House said.

A Bush spokesperson confirmed the talks would be held on Saturday, but did not say whether they had begun, as suggested by the arrival of defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the White House.

Bush was to hold his war consultations with vice president Dick Cheney, national security advisers Stephen Hadley and Steven Crouch, General John Abizaid, his top commander in the Middle East, General George Casey, the US commander in Iraq, and US ambassador in Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad.

Casey and Khalilzad were to join in via a video hook-up from Baghdad, the spokesperson said.

The meeting comes as the US faces one of the most deadly months for US troops in Iraq since the invasion of March 2003.

At least 75 US military personnel have been killed so far in October as the US seeks to quell bombings and violence especially in Baghdad.

- AFP