US president begins Bahrain visit
George Bush continues tour of Gulf allies to gain support against Iran.
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“What has to happen in order for there to be a peaceful settlement of a long-standing dispute is … outlines of a state clearly defined.” |
Bush maintained his long-held stance that a reduction in force levels will depend on conditions in Iraq, and that he would defer to General David Petraeus, the top US commander, who is scheduled to make a recommendation in March.
“My attitude is if he didn’t want to continue the drawdown, that’s fine with me,” Bush said.
“The only thing I can tell you is we’re on track for what we’ve said was going to happen,” he said, referring to plans to withdraw some 30,000 troops from Iraq by July.
While in Bahrain, Bush is expected to hold talks with King Hamad and visit the US Fifth Fleet base.
Bush’s Middle East tour, which started in Israel, will take in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia before ending in Egypt on Wednesday.
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Several political groupings, mainly from the opposition, were due to organise a picket outside the US embassy in Manama after Bush’s arrival.
Sharif charged that the US administration supports “tyrannical regimes” in the Arab world and favours Israel.