Bush Won't Unveil Iraq Plan Until '07

(CBS/AP)  The White House says President Bush has largely decided on a new approach to the Iraq war that he will announce next month, but he gave no public hint of his plan Tuesday when he met with the country's Sunni vice president.

A source tells CBS News that among the topics Mr. Bush is exploring is what would happen if he sent more troops, such as "What would their mission would be?" and "Where would they come from?" reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod.

"Our objective is to help the Iraqi government deal with the extremists and the killers, and support the vast majority of Iraqis who are reasonable, who want peace," President Bush said after an Oval Office meeting Tuesday with Tariq al-Hashemi.

The president took no questions about the announcement by his aides that he would wait until the new year before laying out a new course for U.S. involvement in Iraq.

"It's not ready yet," press secretary Tony Snow had told reporters earlier.

Though it had been the president's desire to unveil what he has been calling his "new way forward" before Christmas, President Bush told his staff Tuesday that it needed to wait, Snow said.

The press secretary insisted the new timing is not a reflection of a major last-minute shift by the White House, or that Mr. Bush is grasping for answers. Instead, the president knows the general direction he is likely to take his Iraq strategy and has instructed his team to address the many the practical ramifications, such as for military tactics and regional diplomacy, Snow said.

"It's a complicated business and there are a lot of things to take into account," the spokesman added.

The timing shift comes as public dissatisfaction with the president's handling of Iraq is at an all-time high, and Democrats are about to take control of Congress because of midterm elections that turned in large part on that issue.

In a CBS News poll released Monday, 75 percent of Americans disapproved of how Mr. Bush is handling Iraq, while just 21 percent approved.

"The president believes that in putting together a way forward, he will be able to address a lot of the concerns that the American public has, the most important of which is, 'What is your plan for winning?'" Snow said.

Earlier Tuesday, President Bush conferred via videoconference with senior military commanders in Iraq, outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and his replacement Robert Gates; the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace; and Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East. Participating from Iraq was Gen. George Casey, the chief U.S. commander in Iraq. Bush and Gates also had breakfast.

President Bush told al-Hashemi that the U.S. government is committed to helping the Iraqi people.

"We want to help your government be effective," Mr. Bush said, side-by-side with the Iraqi leader in the Oval Office after their private meeting. "We want your government to live up to its words and ideals."

Al-Hashemi came into the meeting promising to tell President Bush of his dismay over the Shiite-led Iraqi government's handling of security. He accused the government of not doing enough to deal with militia attacks and said he was especially concerned about Baghdad, where Sunni-Shiite violence has flared in several neighborhoods in recent days.

Afterward, al-Hashemi said he and Mr. Bush had a frank conversation and "tackled the issues." He said he will return home knowing he has friends in Washington.

"I share his views and aspirations that there is no way but success in Iraq," al-Hashemi said of President Bush.

Two retired Army generals who met with Mr. Bush on Monday said the president was very animated, asking many questions that suggested he was open to change.

The president, however, has not changed his public tone about the stakes involved in the war, the importance of victory or his definition of success — sounding much as he did in the weeks before the November elections, in which unhappiness with Iraq was a big factor in the Republicans' loss of Congress.

The administration has rejected calls for U.S. troop withdrawals until Iraq can govern and defend itself.

[stick130]

The Democrats must talk to all Mid East Countries involved in stopping Bush's Ocupation of Iraq. Them the Americans what they know will work and if there is a solution we will remind Congress they can all be one term Congressmen unless they threaten Bush with War Crimes if he fails to obey. He's done nothing for 5 years and 3000 dead Soldiers later. He will get off his Lazy *** do what he's told. He has proven to us he has no leadership skills. It's time for him to do something to correct his failure in Iraq. No more dead Soldiers to protect his ocupation of Iraq for oil. Bush you have 18 days left then Congress better be in your face. You will go into hiding,we will show you no respect,you are a poor excuse for a human. Read MY LIPS, NO MORE KILLING!

[janish64]

frankly6 - can you not READ? Please cite my post where I connected Saddam to OBL/AlQaeda. Let me guess - there are no other terrorism groups - only Al Qaeda, and terrorism did not exist until Bush became president.

And DRinUK - care to comment on the Middle East failures during Clinton's era? No - probably not...because that would mean you would have to admit that there has been NO viable solution, and terrorism is still growing from those regions. I cannot think of a president who tried HARDER to use diplomacy to resolve the issues in the ME than Clinton. Too bad he is not being an honest broker right now and pointing the finger at the real culprits in that break down. And - I don't recall preaching to the UK regarding terrorism at all, so bugger off.

[randalds]

The chimp is on TV right now as i type this trying to explain what he just talked to the Pentagon about in Iraq. He has his condescending tone in his voice like he's talking to 5 year old (because that's how everything is explained to him by his aids) and that stupid grin between his words, like he can't believe there are still some people who believe his bulls*it. God he's am embarrassment to all Americans! A clown. An idiot.

[randalds]

George had to delay "his decision" because Cheney hasn't come up with a plan to please the Saudis; remember them? Cheney was there a couple of weeks ago. Think about it. Now, all in the sudden, the Saudis came in the picture ready to support the Sunni in Iraq.
Let's hear it "Mr. Decider" we are waiting.

Posted by nikosk1 at 12:32 PM : Dec 13, 2006

Actually I thought he was there collecting his and Georgies bribe money?

[pendragon679]

"...the president knows the general direction he is likely to take his Iraq strategy..." And that direction is the same as it's always been: nowhere. Unless Rove, Cheney, Bush & Co. can find a way to circumvent the 22nd Amendment this will all be someone else's problem after 2008, which was what King Dubya had in mind all along. With Cheney cozying up to the Saudis at this point, it should be obvious to anyone that the real "mission" in Iraq was for Dubya & Cheney to fatten their own pocketbooks at the expense of a few thousand innocent lives. Let's stop exchanging American blood for Iraqi (and Saudi) oil & BRING OUR TROOPS HOME! And, while I'm thinking about it, are we really supporting OUR troops by putting a made-in-China magnet on our gas-guzzling SUV's?

[teddebare]

How many will die before Junebug unveils his magical plan... Before the election he stated that, "...we have a plan." Well why allow more deaths to occur that this plan might avoid happening.

He's lies, lies,lies.

Who are those 25% who still believe he is running the war correctly? Is his family that big?

He is waiting until January 1, 2007 so he can lay a plan out that the Democrats will disagree with and blame them for stalling his plan and putting the troops at risk...

This brilliant war tactician -"I'm a war President" has no brain and no shame.

Only the people will save us.

[drinuk]

janish64,
And by the way, it took a Democrat to finally get a grip of the IRA, thank you Mr Clinton.

[drinuk]

janish64,

We in Britian need no advice from you with regard to terrorism Thank You Very Much !! Whilst thousands of mis guided Irish Americans were funding Noraid to buy AK47 assault rifles for the IRA, our people were looking down their barrels. Fortunately that ended with 9/11, so don't preach to us you parocial twit.

[frankly6]

janish64

Please tell us what weapons programs were discovered and dismantled in Iraq? Also please educate us on the connection/cooperation between Sadam and Osama/Al Qaeda?

[janish64]

If the US administration was a fascist government, you would not be whining on this website. The ignorance here is disturbing.