Region | Iraq

Rice: More time for US policy on Iraq

A bruised White House went on the offensive trying to defend its Iraq policy after the House of Representatives voted to support legislation to bring combat troops out of Iraq by April 1.

  • Gulf News Report
  • Published: 00:04 July 14, 2007
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Reuters
  • US President George W. Bush and his cabinet take part in a video teleconference with Iraq provincial reconstruction team leaders, embedded provincial reconstruction team leaders, and brigade combat commanders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Friday.

Dubai: A bruised White House went on the offensive yesterday trying to defend its Iraq policy after the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted 223-201 to approve legislation to bring combat troops out of Iraq by April 1, 2008.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defended the Baghdad government's mixed report card in Congress, saying the Bush administration needs two more months to find a "coherent way forward" in Iraq.

"We do have to recognise what a hard thing it is that they're doing. We have to continue to support them, and most importantly, we need not make premature judgments," Rice told NBC's Today show.

"They're trying to bring about fundamental changes," she said.

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