US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki held a 50-minute videoconference in October 2006, releasing a joint statement that announced a new high-level security working group and pushed back against news reports of friction between the two governments.
The panel brings together Iraq's national security adviser, its defense and interior ministers, US General George Casey, and Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. Its charge covers three areas: accelerating the training of Iraqi security forces, handing command authority to Iraqi commanders, and transferring full security responsibility to Baghdad.
White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters that Bush was satisfied with Maliki's leadership and that the relationship was on solid footing. He described the statement as a deliberate correction to coverage suggesting the two sides had clashed over a US-backed political reform timetable. Maliki had publicly rejected that timetable, insisting that his government's agenda was not subject to outside direction.
The wider security picture remained bleak. US forces were contesting Ramadi with insurgents, who separately captured 11 Iraqi army soldiers. At least 98 American troops died in Iraq during the month, putting the total since the March 2003 invasion at a minimum of 2,809.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.