British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told US President George W.
Bush Monday he shares the US view that there are "duties to
discharge and responsibilities to keep" in Iraq.
"Our aim, like the United States is, step-by-step, to move
control to the Iraqi authorities," Brown said, joining Bush at a
news conference at the president's Maryland mountaintop
retreat.
Brown said that decisions about troops would only be made "on
the military advice of our commanders on the ground," echoing
language often heard from Bush.
Indeed, minutes later, in response to a question, Bush said:
"The decisions on the way forward in Iraq must be made with a
military recommendation as an integral part of it."
The United Kingdom's commitment to the war is essential to the
Bush administration. Britain has 5,500 troops there, with forces
moving from a combat role to aiding local Iraqi forces.
Bush didn't directly answer whether he planned to pass on the
war to the next president, who will take office in January 2009.
But he hinted that was likely.
The Camp David meeting was an attempt by Brown and Bush to seek
common footing between leaders new to each other but overseeing one
of the world's most important alliances.
In deference to the US-Britain relationship, Bush gave Brown the
full foreign-leader treatment: a coveted overnight stay at the
presidential retreat, three meals of all-American fare and
introductory talks spanning a range of weighty matters.
But building personal rapport was the main theme. The men have
been together before, but this was their first official sit-down
since Brown took office in Britain a month ago.
As a result, the men stressed what their nations have in common
when they appeared together before reporters - 25 minutes late, a
rarity for the usually punctual president - to cap the two days of
talks both one-on-one and with advisers.
"So everyone's wondering whether or not the prime minister and I
were able to find common ground, to get along, to have a meaningful
discussion," Bush said to open their press availability. "And the
answer is 'Absolutely."'
Bush said they met over dinner Sunday night for more than two
hours alone, dismissing aides from both countries to the rustic
camp's bowling alley.
"You know, he probably wasn't sure what to expect from me," the
president said. "I kinda had a sense of the kind of person I was
going to be dealing with. I would describe Gordon Brown as a
principled man who really wants to get something done."
Brown said he and Bush agreed on the need to pursue tougher
sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.
?
(China Daily via agencies July 31, 2007)
