.US-Iraq summit delayed; Abdullah calls for Iraqi unity (Roundup)
Amman - US President George W Bush arrived in the Middle East on Wednesday for crucial talks on the situation in Iraq, but his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was delayed.
Bush proceeded with plans to meet Jordan's King Abdullah II, but a three-way discussion that would have included al-Maliki Wednesday night was scrapped, the White House said.
White House communications director Dan Bartlett denied that al- Maliki had snubbed Bush because of White House memo reported Wednesday that questioned the Iraqi prime minister's ability to continue governing the troubled country.
'No one should read too much into this,' Bartlett said.
A senior Jordanian official said that the tripartite discussions were cancelled due to 'time constraints.' The two men will meet Thursday morning, state-run Jordan television quoted the unidentified official as saying.
The November 8 memo by Bush national security adviser Stephen Hadley, reported by the New York Times, described al-Maliki as 'having difficulty figuring out' how to be a strong leader.
'We need to determine if Prime Minister Maliki is both willing and able to rise above the sectarian agendas being promoted by others,' Hadley wrote.
Bush was to meet with al-Maliki in an effort to stave off a full blown civil war as sectarian violence in Iraq worsens. The Bush administration has been frustrated by al-Maliki's inaction when it comes to disarming Shiite militias and finding a political solution to the conflict.
'The reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action,' Hadley wrote.
Pressure has mounted on Bush to develop a new strategy for resolving the conflict in Iraq and begin the withdrawal of the 150,000 American forces there. Bush has said he will consider the findings of the so-called Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel of foreign policy experts assembled by Congress to review the situation in Iraq whose final report is scheduled for release on December 6.
Meanwhile, Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in Washington that the Pentagon was considering the possibility of relocating some US troops in Iraq to Baghdad, where violence has risen in recent weeks.
'That's part of the whole spectrum that we're looking at,' Pace said without offering details. Pace denied a Washington Post report that the United States would abandon its effort in Iraq's western al- Anbar province and turn over security operations to Iraqi forces.
'There is no immediate thoughts to moving all coalition forces out of al-Anbar province and turning over right now today all security in Al Anbar to Iraqi security forces,' Pace said 'It's not on the table.'
In Baghdad earlier, four ministers of the Iraqi government - all members of the movement of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr - tendered their resignations to protest al-Maliki's meeting with Bush.
According to the state broadcaster al-Iraqiya, the 30 parliamentarians of the al-Sadr movement suspended their participation in the coalition that backs al-Maliki as prime minister because of the meeting with Bush.
Before opening talks with Bush, Abdullah and al-Maliki had preliminary talks of their own after which the Jordanian monarch expressed hopes that al-Maliki and Bush would come up with a 'clear mechanism for halting the deteriorating security situation in Iraq.'
Abdullah also called on Iraqis 'to close ranks ... so as to be able to overcome attempts aimed at fanning sectarianism in the country,' and said the current impasse could only be resolved through political dialogue and national reconciliation involving all Iraqi parties, a royal court statement said.
Al-Maliki was accompanied to Amman by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and a number of senior officials.
As the meetings got underway, Jordanians took to the streets to protest Bush's visit, with about 1,000 people taking part in a march on the office of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit.
Participants in the rally, which was organized by the Islamist-led opposition in conjunction with 16 trade unions, burned a US flag and a picture and effigy of the US president.
The demonstrators also bore placards denouncing US policies in the Middle East and chanted slogans denouncing Washington's backing of Israel.
Pro-government parties also showed their discontent over Bush's visit by holding a demonstration outside parliament.
Bush's Middle East trip comes as the UN Security Council in New York unanimously approved a new 12-month mandate for the US-led international forces in Iraq, paving the way for them to remain in the country until end 2007.
Abdullah also pressed upon Bush that 'progress' in the Arab- Israeli peace process was imperative for enabling the region to deal 'effectively' with challenges in Iraq and Lebanon, according to the Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib.
'The King made it clear to the American president that real progress towards resolving the Palestinian question should be achieved in order to enable the region to deal effectively with challenges facing it,' Khatib told Jordan television as he emerged from the meeting at the royal palace.
'The Palestinian issue is a pivotal question as far as the stability of the region is concerned and there should be real moves to put the affairs in the region back on track,' Khatib quoted the monarch as telling Bush.
Abdullah met earlier Wednesday with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, chairman of Iraq's Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution, the largest Shiite party in Iraq, as part of a series of meetings with the leaders of Iraq's warring factions.
He also held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, telling him he would pressure Bush on bringing the Palestinian people in out of international isolation.
M&C
Bush proceeded with plans to meet Jordan's King Abdullah II, but a three-way discussion that would have included al-Maliki Wednesday night was scrapped, the White House said.
White House communications director Dan Bartlett denied that al- Maliki had snubbed Bush because of White House memo reported Wednesday that questioned the Iraqi prime minister's ability to continue governing the troubled country.
'No one should read too much into this,' Bartlett said.
A senior Jordanian official said that the tripartite discussions were cancelled due to 'time constraints.' The two men will meet Thursday morning, state-run Jordan television quoted the unidentified official as saying.
The November 8 memo by Bush national security adviser Stephen Hadley, reported by the New York Times, described al-Maliki as 'having difficulty figuring out' how to be a strong leader.
'We need to determine if Prime Minister Maliki is both willing and able to rise above the sectarian agendas being promoted by others,' Hadley wrote.
Bush was to meet with al-Maliki in an effort to stave off a full blown civil war as sectarian violence in Iraq worsens. The Bush administration has been frustrated by al-Maliki's inaction when it comes to disarming Shiite militias and finding a political solution to the conflict.
'The reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action,' Hadley wrote.
Pressure has mounted on Bush to develop a new strategy for resolving the conflict in Iraq and begin the withdrawal of the 150,000 American forces there. Bush has said he will consider the findings of the so-called Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel of foreign policy experts assembled by Congress to review the situation in Iraq whose final report is scheduled for release on December 6.
Meanwhile, Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in Washington that the Pentagon was considering the possibility of relocating some US troops in Iraq to Baghdad, where violence has risen in recent weeks.
'That's part of the whole spectrum that we're looking at,' Pace said without offering details. Pace denied a Washington Post report that the United States would abandon its effort in Iraq's western al- Anbar province and turn over security operations to Iraqi forces.
'There is no immediate thoughts to moving all coalition forces out of al-Anbar province and turning over right now today all security in Al Anbar to Iraqi security forces,' Pace said 'It's not on the table.'
In Baghdad earlier, four ministers of the Iraqi government - all members of the movement of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr - tendered their resignations to protest al-Maliki's meeting with Bush.
According to the state broadcaster al-Iraqiya, the 30 parliamentarians of the al-Sadr movement suspended their participation in the coalition that backs al-Maliki as prime minister because of the meeting with Bush.
Before opening talks with Bush, Abdullah and al-Maliki had preliminary talks of their own after which the Jordanian monarch expressed hopes that al-Maliki and Bush would come up with a 'clear mechanism for halting the deteriorating security situation in Iraq.'
Abdullah also called on Iraqis 'to close ranks ... so as to be able to overcome attempts aimed at fanning sectarianism in the country,' and said the current impasse could only be resolved through political dialogue and national reconciliation involving all Iraqi parties, a royal court statement said.
Al-Maliki was accompanied to Amman by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and a number of senior officials.
As the meetings got underway, Jordanians took to the streets to protest Bush's visit, with about 1,000 people taking part in a march on the office of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit.
Participants in the rally, which was organized by the Islamist-led opposition in conjunction with 16 trade unions, burned a US flag and a picture and effigy of the US president.
The demonstrators also bore placards denouncing US policies in the Middle East and chanted slogans denouncing Washington's backing of Israel.
Pro-government parties also showed their discontent over Bush's visit by holding a demonstration outside parliament.
Bush's Middle East trip comes as the UN Security Council in New York unanimously approved a new 12-month mandate for the US-led international forces in Iraq, paving the way for them to remain in the country until end 2007.
Abdullah also pressed upon Bush that 'progress' in the Arab- Israeli peace process was imperative for enabling the region to deal 'effectively' with challenges in Iraq and Lebanon, according to the Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib.
'The King made it clear to the American president that real progress towards resolving the Palestinian question should be achieved in order to enable the region to deal effectively with challenges facing it,' Khatib told Jordan television as he emerged from the meeting at the royal palace.
'The Palestinian issue is a pivotal question as far as the stability of the region is concerned and there should be real moves to put the affairs in the region back on track,' Khatib quoted the monarch as telling Bush.
Abdullah met earlier Wednesday with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, chairman of Iraq's Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution, the largest Shiite party in Iraq, as part of a series of meetings with the leaders of Iraq's warring factions.
He also held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, telling him he would pressure Bush on bringing the Palestinian people in out of international isolation.
M&C
posted by madtom at 7:09 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home