U.S. President George Bush has commented on his meeting this week with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, saying Mr. Maliki made it clear that the Iraqi people do not want the country partitioned.
Mr. Bush said in his Saturday radio address Saturday that Mr. Maliki told him partitioning the country would lead to more sectarian violence. Mr. Bush said the success of the Iraqi government depends on the success of Iraqi security forces. He added that he and Mr. Maliki agree that training of Iraqi security forces needs to be done faster and on a broader scale.
President Bush said he recognizes that recent violence in Iraq has been unsettling. And he pledged to work with U.S. leaders in both political parties to find consensus on the best path forward.