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Bush Meets With Iraq Sunni Leader, Delays Strategy Announcement

By Roger Runningen and Janine Zacharia

Dec. 12 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush met with a leader of Iraq's Sunni Muslim minority as the administration attempts to isolate the sectarian factions that are fueling violence in the country.

The White House session with Tariq al-Hashemi, Iraq's vice president and the leader of the biggest Sunni Muslim bloc in parliament, was conducted as the president decided to put off an announcement of a new U.S. approach in Iraq until after the start of the new year.

The administration is reaching out to political moderates in Iraq following the breakdown of attempts by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad to engage some of the country's militant factions.

``I understand his importance to the future of Iraq,'' Bush said of Hashemi after their Oval Office meeting. Hashemi said he shared Bush's view that there ``no other option in Iraq'' except to succeed in building a unified government.

The Iraq Study Group, a 10-member bipartisan panel created by Congress to make recommendations on U.S. strategy, identified Hashemi as a key Sunni figure who has broad support. One of two Iraqi vice presidents, Hashemi heads the Iraqi Islamic party.

He opposes the formation of autonomous regions in Iraq and has advocated the removal of Shiite militia fighters from the Iraqi security forces. Shiite death squads recently killed three of his siblings, the report said.

``The vice president has suffered unspeakable violence in his family,'' Bush said today. ``In spite of his grief and in spite of the pain in his heart, he is willing to work for a united Iraq and a peaceful Iraq.''

Outreach

As part of U.S. efforts to marginalize Sunni and Shiite extremists who are fueling the violence, the U.S. is turning to Iraqi political leaders regarded as moderates such as Hashemi, according to an administration official familiar with discussions about strategy.

Khalilzad held unsuccessful meetings in Iraq and Jordan with representatives of Sunni insurgent leaders to try to persuade them to abandon violence, a person familiar with the internal deliberations said.

The fresh courtship of moderate political figures includes Shiites as well. Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of the most organized Shiite political party, visited the White House Dec. 4 and was pressed by Bush to work against extremists.

Seeking Support

The U.S., meanwhile, has had trouble persuading Arab allies such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to take steps to prop up the current Iraqi government because they are concerned about Iran's influence on Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki as well as his failure to confront Shiite militias, the official said.

Hashemi is the third Iraqi leader Bush has met within two weeks. In addition to the meeting with Hakim last week, the president conferred with Maliki in Jordan on Nov. 30.

``There is a chance -- and I can assure you there is a great and real chance -- to get out of this present dilemma,'' Hashemi said.

Bush, under pressure from the public and lawmakers to change course in the war, is in the second of three days of high profile consultations this week aimed at charting a new course in Iraq as fresh chaos and carnage erupted in Baghdad.

Before the session with Hashemi, Bush held a closed-door videoconference with Khalilzad and military commanders in Iraq as part of his consultations on U.S. strategy.

Bush had been aiming to unveil what he has called a ``new way forward'' before the Dec. 25 holiday. That timetable has been pushed back because the president's advisers need more time to answer questions about the impact of potential changes, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said.

`Not Ready Yet'

`We do not know when, so I can't give a date, I can't give you a time,'' Snow said at his daily briefing. ``He decided that, frankly, it's not ready yet.''

Snow refused to provide any details of Bush's consultations with military commanders and other officials.

After a meeting at the State Department yesterday, Bush said his goal was to coordinate advice from diplomatic and military advisers ``so that when I do speak to the American people, they will know that I've listened to all aspects of government.''

Sectarian violence has accelerated since the start of the year, killing thousands of Iraqis and more than 600 U.S. military personnel.

A suicide bomber killed at least 57 people early today at a site where day laborers gathered in Baghdad. The blast wounded about 150 others. The capital has become the center the sectarian conflict between Shiite Muslims, who are the majority in Iraq, and Sunnis.

Commission's Recommendations

In addition to his own advisers, Bush last week received the report of the Iraq Study Group. The panel urged the administration to shift more troops to training Iraqi forces from combat duty, eventually removing most combat units by the first quarter of 2008. Characterizing the situation in Iraq as ``grave and dangerous,'' the commission also recommending enlisting Iraq's neighbors, particularly Iran and Syria, in the effort to stabilize the country.

Some of the outside experts being consulted by Bush, including three retired generals, told the president yesterday they disagreed with the Iraq Study Group recommendations on drawing down combat troops and engaging Iran and Syria, the Washington Post reported today, citing unidentified people familiar with the discussions.

To contact the reporters on this story: Roger Runningen in Washington at ; Janine Zacharia in Washington at

Last Updated: December 12, 2006 15:11 EST
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