WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday signed a plan for US-Iraq ties to set the stage for formal talks next year on issues including a long-term US troop presence, the White House said.
Bush's "war czar," Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, said that the non-binding document was "not a treaty, but rather a set of principles" and left thorny issues like the future of the US deployment to talks in 2008.
US: Iran Mideast criticism 'not surprising'
The White House on Monday dismissed Iran's criticisms of a US-hosted Middle East peace meeting "not surprising," charging that Tehran backs extremists sidelined by the talks.
"My reaction is that it is not surprising that a country like Iran is concerned that extremist elements have been targeted so that we can get to a Palestinian state and a peace between Israel and Palestine and then hopefully a comprehensive peace in the Middle East," said spokeswoman Dana Perino.
Earlier, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad chided Saudi Arabia for taking part in a US-hosted Middle East peace meeting, after Arab participation in the event left Tehran isolated, media reported on Monday.
11/26/2007