Bush says Iraq troop withdrawal on track
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (Reuters) - The United States is on track to complete the withdrawal of 20,000 troops from Iraq by mid-year, and further reductions will depend on military recommendations, U.S. President George W. Bush said on Saturday.
Speaking after meeting his military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, at a base in Kuwait, Bush said security improvements in Iraq "are allowing some U.S. forces to return home".
"Any additional reductions will be based on the recommendations of General Petraeus," he said. "Conditions on the ground will be those that guide his recommendations. I need to know his considered judgment to make sure that the security gains ... remain in place."
Bush said security had greatly improved in Iraq since a U.S. troop "surge" was launched last year.
"Levels of violence are significantly reduced. Hope is returning to Baghdad," he said, adding that the al Qaeda network in Iraq had been "dealt heavy blows".
He urged Iran and Syria to do more to curb violence in Iraq. "Iran's role in fomenting violence has been exposed," he said.
He added that while Iraq's government had been making some progress, it needed to do more.
"Have they done enough? No," he said.
Bush arrived in Kuwait on Friday evening after wrapping up his first presidential visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank.
