Bush Meets With Bipartisan Panel on Course of Iraq War
Iraq Study Group meets with President Bush and other White House officials as they near end of review; group to announce recommendations to Bush and Congress by end of year
http://www.foxnews.com/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,229017,00.htmlWASHINGTON — A bipartisan panel mapping out strategies for a wartorn Iraq met with President Bush and other top White House officials on Monday. In an effort to solicit ideas on how to get a better grip on the sectarian strife that's plaguing Iraq, and to better utilize American troops in that country, Bush was meeting with members of the Iraq Study Group in the Oval Office. "This is not a deposition," said White House spokesman Tony Snow, saying the meeting was an assessment of the situation, not a discussion of alternative strategies. Previous reports show that troop withdrawal plans are under review by the Iraq Study Group. Those plans could be included in its report, which is due to be released next month. Bush has pledged to "stay the course" in Iraq in recent weeks, but also expressed an openness to new ideas to tackle problems in the wartorn country. The group, led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker II and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana, was also meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.