Bush sees progress but not "zero violence" in Iraq

WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) Americans should expect steady progress in Iraq but it would be unrealistic to hope for ''zero violence'' any time soon, President George W Bush today said, the day after his trip to Baghdad to meet the new Iraqi government.

Bush, facing sagging public support for the Iraq war, was also cautious about prospects for reducing the some 130,000 US troops in Iraq, reiterating his stance that US troops can only start coming home as the Iraqi authorities show themselves more capable of imposing order.

He also sought to temper expectations for any quick drawdown in US forces after the death last week of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda's leader in Iraq.

''I hope there's not an expectation from people that all of a sudden there's going to be zero violence,'' Bush said.

He said much would depend on the fledgling Iraqi national unity government and its security forces taking on increasing responsibility for securing the country.

Bush said the message to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's new government was: ''If you're more capable it requires less troops, but we're still with you.'' But Bush, whose hopes for progress in Iraq got a boost with the killing of Zarqawi in a US airstrike last Wednesday, indicated Washington will expect Iraqis to do their share.

''Success in Iraq depends upon the Iraqis. If the Iraqis don't have the will to succeed, they're not going to succeed,'' said Bush, who spent more than five hours yesterday on a surprise trip to Baghdad.

''And so one of the things I went to Iraq to do was to, as best I possibly can, expel any doubt in my mind as to whether or not we have a partner that is going to do the hard work.'' Reuter SY GC2052