United States President George Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed on ”a general time horizon”, not an ”arbitrary timetable”, for a drawdown of US forces, the White House said on Friday.
In talks by video conference on Thursday, Bush and Maliki said improving security conditions in Iraq should allow for including that goal in a pending long-term diplomatic and security pact, said spokesperson Dana Perino.
”Improving conditions should allow for the agreements now under negotiation to include a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals — such as the resumption of Iraqi security control in their cities and provinces and the further reduction of US combat forces from Iraq,” she said in a statement.
”The president and prime minister agreed that the goals would be based on continued improving conditions on the ground and not an arbitrary date for withdrawal,” she said. — AFP
