Region | Iraq
Bush urges Brown not to set timetable for Iraq withdrawal
US President George W. Bush urged British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Sunday not to set a timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:30 June 15, 2008
- Image Credit: Gulf News archive
- Bush's final stop in his farewell tour of Europe is Britain.
Paris: US President George W. Bush urged British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Sunday not to set a timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Bush issued his call ahead of a visit to Britain, the final stop of a European farewell tour on which he has won support for an increase of pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.
He said in an interview with Britain's Observer newspaper that the United States and Britain, Washington's main ally on Iraq, both obviously wanted to bring their troops home but this could only be "based upon success".
"Our answer is: there should be no definitive timetable," said Bush, adding he was "appreciative" that Brown was in frequent touch about "what he and his military are thinking".
Only about 4,000 British troops are still in Iraq, most of them stationed at a base in the south.
Last week media reports said Britain could possibly pull all its forces out by the end of the year, but with the situation still unstable on the ground that appears unlikely.
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