Bush puts off announcement of new Iraq policy till next month

Washington, Dec 13 (UNI) President George W Bush who was expected to announce his new Iraq policy around Christmas has put it off till next month apparently to have more time for discussions with various interested groups at home and in Iraq.

White House press secretary Tony Snow indicated the President has already decided on the broad outline of his new Iraq strategy.

''He has got some very clear practical, tactical and other questions, and so certainly the process and consultations will continue and people will be working very hard between now and the time the president has formulated the policy and is prepared to share his thoughts with the public and the world,'' Snow said.

As part of his on-going discussion on Iraq, Bush yesterday met Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni Arab, who has been personally affected by the violence in Iraq, which claimed the lives of his brother and his sister in separate attacks in April.

They exchanged views on the security situation in Iraq and ways the United States can help the Iraqi government achieve stability.

Delivering message to Vice-President and the Iraqi people, Mr Bush said the US objective is to support the vast majority of Iraqis who want peace and making the government effective.

Hashimi, in reply, said the situation was difficult in Iraq but, ''there is a chance and I can assure you there is a great and real chance to get out of this present dilemma.'' Earlier in the day, Bush held talks with US military commanders in Iraq and US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad through teleconferencing.

Also, Mr Bush hold similar discussions with top Iraqi Shiite political leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

The president has also sought input from the State Department and the Pentagon as he weighs options for policy changes in Iraq.

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