Bush tells Iraqi PM to ignore talk of deadlines

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
President George W. Bush personally assured Iraq's prime minister Monday that he has no plans to pull US forces out the country and told him to ignore rumors that a deadline would be enforced against the fledgling Baghdad government. The president's pledge came in a 15-minute phone call with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who told Bush he was concerned because he had been hearing that the United States was giving him a two-month timeline to operate on his own. "He said that rumors sometimes can undercut confidence in the government and also its ability to work effectively in fighting terror," said Bush spokesman Tony Snow. "And the president said, `Don't worry, you still have our full support.'"