Bush rejects phased withdrawal

AMMAN, Jordan – President Bush on Thursday rejected calls for a measured withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, even as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, facing doubts about his ability to dampen violence, asserted his forces could take full control by June.

A day after publication of a leaked White House memo questioning al-Maliki’s leadership capabilities, Bush shared a news conference stage with him and offered what sounded like unconditional support. “He’s a strong leader,” Bush said. “He’s the right guy for Iraq.”

Still, Bush and his advisers acknowledged formidable challenges for the Iraqi leader in quelling rising sectarian violence.

“There is a real sense of urgency but there is not a sense of panic,” said Stephen J. Hadley, Bush’s national security adviser and the author of the leaked memo that underscored doubts about al-Maliki.

The president used the news conference in the Jordanian capital to get in front of reports that a special committee headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton would call for a phased withdrawal of troops to begin.

“I know there’s a lot of speculation that these reports in Washington mean there’s going to be some kind of graceful exit out of Iraq,” Bush said. But he said if there is talk of a timetable, “all that does is set people up for unrealistic expectations.”

Al-Maliki, meanwhile, declared in an interview with ABC News that Iraqi forces would soon be in a position to take over security for the country – a position U.S. officials have questioned.

“I can say that Iraqi forces will be ready, fully ready to receive this command and to command its own forces, and I can tell you that by next June our forces will be ready,” he said.

It’s not the first time al-Maliki has spoken of a six-month time frame for having Iraqi soldiers and police up to speed. But his latest words could be seen as implicit approval for the U.S. to prepare for the gradual withdrawal that is expected to be recommended by the Baker-Hamilton commission.

Bush said he wanted to begin withdrawing troops “as soon as possible. But I’m a realist because I understand how tough it is inside of Iraq.”

There are about 140,000 U.S. forces in Iraq. In fact, the Pentagon is developing plans to send in four more battalions – about 3,500 troops – early next year, partly to boost security in Baghdad,