ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will meet next week in Jordan to discuss the security situation in Iraq.
In a joint statement, the two leaders said: “We will meet in Amman, Jordan, on Nov. 29-30 to continue our consultation on building security and stability in Iraq.”
Press secretary Tony Snow distributed the statement to reporters returning home with Mr. Bush yesterday from an eight-day Asia trip. Mr. Bush will fly directly to Amman from next week’s NATO summit in Riga, Latvia.
“We will focus our discussions on current developments in Iraq, progress made to date in the deliberations of a high-level joint committee on transferring security responsibilities and the role of the region in supporting Iraq,” the statement said. “We reiterate our commitment to building the foundations of a peaceful, democratic and secure Iraq and to strengthening the partnership between our two nations.”
Mr. Bush and Mr. al-Maliki last met July 25 in Washington.
National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley told reporters that the idea for a meeting came up a week or more ago and that plans accelerated in the last few days.
“We’re not looking for a big, bold announcement,” he said.
On Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asked the presidents of Iraq and Syria to attend a weekend summit in Tehran, a move seen as another effort by Iran to play a strong role in the Middle East.
Asked about what role Iran and Syria should be playing, Mr. Hadley said: “We think it is important that Iraq be speaking directly to these countries and making it clear to them that they need to play a positive role in seeking security, stability and democracy in Iraq. … We are supportive of Iraqi government officials as they deliver that message.”
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