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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (10708)	3/18/2005 5:22:43 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 362689

By TERENCE HUNT AP White House Correspondent The Associated Press WASHINGTON Mar 16, 2005 — President Bush said Wednesday he understands the desire of U.S. coalition partners to withdraw troops from Iraq, but he declined to set a timetable for bringing American forces home and said he hoped others would also stay the course. "Our troops will come home when Iraq is capable of defending herself," Bush told reporters. Bush spoke a day after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced plans to start drawing down his country's 3,000-strong contingent in Iraq amid widespread anger over the recent killing of an Italian officer by U.S. troops. Some 14 nations have withdrawn troops since the U.S.-led March 2003 invasion of Iraq. In a news conference in the White House press briefing room, Bush also pledged to press his case for Social Security overhaul, expressed confidence in embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and said he was concerned about surging energy costs. The president said he had spoken by telephone to Berlusconi earlier in the day and they talked about both Iraq and Bush's recommendation of Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz to become head of the World Bank. "He wanted me to know that there was no change in his policy, that, in fact, any withdrawals would be done in consultation with allies and would be done depending upon the ability of Iraqis to defend themselves," Bush said. Bush shrugged off a question about detainees being sent by the United States back to their home countries, where they could be tortured. "The United States must make sure we protect our people and our friends from attack. One way to do so is arrest people and send them back" to their home countries, he said. "We seek assurances that no one will be tortured." Bush also reflected philosophically on his role as a second term president, saying he doesn't worry about his place in history or whether he will be vindicated in his efforts to spread democracy throughout the Middle East. "I just don't worry about vindication or standing. … You've got a lot on your plate on a regular basis. You don't have much time to sit around and wander, lonely in the Oval Office, kind of asking different portraits, 'How do you think my standing will be?'" Continued 1. 2. 3. NEXT» abcnews.go.com