Sunni Iraqi VP asks Bush for withdrawal timeline

Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi has asked US President George W. Bush for a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq, the presidential office said. Al-Hashimi made the request during his meeting with Bush on Tuesday, when the US president made a surprise visit to Iraq. "I supported him in this," President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, said in a statement released Wednesday. Al-Hashimi's representatives could not immediately be reached for comment. Bush made it clear during his visit that a US military presence - now at about 132,000 troops - would continue, although he stressed the fate of the Iraqis was in their own hands.