Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari and President Bush are holding talks at the White House this hour. The two leaders were expected to discuss Iraqi efforts to draft a new constitution and the training of that country's security forces.
In an interview with the Washington Post -Thursday, Mr. al-Jaafari said joint U.S.-Iraqi offensives have improved security efforts dramatically. The prime minister said he wants American forces to be able to leave Iraq as soon as possible, but he warned against setting a specific deadline because he said it would play into the hands of terrorists.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said today-Friday Mr. Bush will deliver a major televised address on Iraq to the American people from a military base Ft. Bragg in North Carolina on Tuesday evening. He said the president will be very specific about his plans for moving forward.
Recent public opinion polls indicate that U.S. support for the Iraq war is declining.
Information for this report is provided by AFP and Reuters.