Bush urges progress from Maliki ahead of Iraq testimony

WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush on Monday urged Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to make political progress, shortly before the start of key congressional hearings on Iraq, a spokesman said.
Bush spoke with Maliki via videoconference a few hours before top military commander General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker began to deliver progress reports on Iraq to a skeptical Democratic-controlled Congress.
"Both sides share the view that it's important to have political progress as well as continued progress on the ground militarily," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
Maliki "expressed some optimism about the legislative process going on in Iraq, he said that he believed there has been a change in attitude," Snow said.
In highly anticipated testimony that is expected to help shape the future course of US involvement in Iraq, Petraeus told legislators in Washington that military objectives were largely being met in Iraq as a result of this year's troop "surge" strategy.
lal/ksh/mac

09/10/2007 17:37 GMT