Bush, Blair Back U.N. Iraq Plan

President Bush, after meeting with his top ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, signaled support Friday for an interim government to take power in Iraq on June 30, saying the plan under development by a U.N. envoy is "broadly acceptable to the Iraqi people."

The authority of the coalition backed by the United States will expire on the June 30 deadline previously set, Mr. Bush said, adding that "coalition forces will remain in Iraq to help the new government succeed."

"It was never going to be easy and it isn't now" in Iraq, said Blair, who echoed the president's comments — and also his resolve.

"We will not waver in the face of fear and intimidation," said Mr. Bush.

Turning his attention to a second contentious foreign policy issue, the president called on Palestinian leaders to "rise to the challenge" of accepting permanent Israeli possession of certain portions of the West Bank seized in the 1967 Mideast war.

"It gives all sides a chance to reinvigorate" the peace process, said Mr. Bush, who signed off earlier this week on a fundamental shift in American policy in response to a request from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Mr. Bush made his comments at a news conference in the sun-splashed White House Rose Garden, standing shoulder by shoulder once more with Blair, his principal ally in the effort to topple Saddam Hussein and restore democracy in Iraq.

The United States has about 130,000 troops in Iraq, followed by Britain's 12,000.

It was the fifth time in less than a week that Mr. Bush has met with reporters — a period marked by increased American casualties in Iraq as well as a rash of hostage-taking by militants loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr.

He opened by saying the June 30 deadline for a turnover of political power was firm, and expressing support for the work of United Nations diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi.

"No citizen of America or Britain would want their government in the hands of others and neither do the Iraqis and this is why the June 30th date for the transfer of sovereignty will be kept," he said.

Mr. Bush added that the turnover will show Iraqis the United States has "no interest in occupation. On that date the Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist. But coalition forces will remain in Iraq to help the new government succeed."

The president said Brahimi has "identified a way forward to establishing an interim government that is broadly acceptable to the Iraqi people. Our coalition will continue to work with the United Nations to prepare for nationwide elections that will choose a new government in January of 2005."

Mr. Bush expressed gratitude that Brahimi "will soon return to Iraq and continue his important work."

Mr. Bush also responded to a reporter's question about allegations in a new book that he secretly ordered a war plan drawn up against Iraq less than two months after U.S. forces attacked Afghanistan.

"I can't remember exact dates that far back," Mr. Bush said.

"I do know that it was Afghanistan that was on my mind and I didn't really start focusing on Iraq 'til later on," he added.

CBS News White House Correspondent Bill Plante reports Blair has come under attack at home for his support of Mr. Bush. Critics call him "Bush's lap dog." The failure to find weapons of mass destruction has badly damaged Blair's popularity, but he's managed to survive.

The British have reported nearly 60 soldiers killed in Iraq, the United States, nearly 700, including 88 killed this month. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld expressed surprise Thursday at the number of recent casualties.

Mr. Bush is facing more immediate pressure than Blair, reports Plante. The trouble in Iraq is fast becoming an election year issue.

"The question is, can this faltering operation be saved, be turned around, or is it too late?" said James Dobbins, a former senior State Department official in the Clinton and first Bush administrations. "This is a joint enterprise, and it's not going well."