WASHINGTON — President Bush said Thursday that the formation of a new government in Iraq marked a turning point for the war-torn country, but not one that would allow for an earlier drawdown of U.S. and coalition forces.
After a White House meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bush repeated his position that he would order a reduction in forces only after military commanders told him that the country could be defended by the growing Iraqi military and police forces.
"The American people need to know that we'll keep the forces there necessary to win," Bush told an evening news conference. "It's important for the American people to know that politics isn't going to make the decision as to the size of our force level."
He dismissed reports that the administration intended to reduce the number of troops in Iraq to 100,000 from 131,000 by year's end as no more than "speculation in the press."
The meeting of the two wartime allies had given rise to hope that they might signal the beginning of a troop drawdown long sought on both sides of the Atlantic. But the leaders instead indicated that they still saw huge risks for Iraq, where a Sunni Arab-driven insurgency rages on and sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims is on the rise.
Bush said his commanders would recommend only a troop reduction "based on conditions on the ground."
"I know I keep saying that," he said. "And it probably bores you that I keep giving you the same answer. But I haven't changed my opinion."
Blair suggested that the leaders might make no decision on troop levels for several months while they waited to see how effectively Iraqi forces stood up to their attackers.
"You will find probably, over the next few months, there will be a real attempt by the anti-democratic forces to test them very, very strongly," Blair said, responding to a question about potential troop withdrawals.
Iraq's new leader, Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, said this week that he wanted Iraqi troops to take over responsibility for the nation's security as soon as possible. Maliki said he believed Iraqis could assume a lead role by the end of 2007.
Blair cast some skepticism on Maliki's prediction, saying it was possible, but insisting that Iraqi control was contingent on the new government quickly establishing a strong grip on the country, and on the ability of the Iraqi troops to crack down on insurgents.
