US News
US, Iraqi leaders to participate in strategy meeting
By DPA
Jun 10, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Washington - Less than a week after the killing of militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, US and Iraqi leaders will participate in a two-day meeting to discuss war strategy and the goals of the newly seated Iraqi government, news reports said Friday.

President George W Bush will convene his national security team on Monday at Camp David. Iraqi leaders will join the meeting by teleconference on Tuesday.

Bush, key cabinet members, national security advisers and intelligence directors will meet for several hours Monday morning at the presidential retreat outside Washington. The meeting will be followed by a teleconference with US military commanders in Iraq.

On Tuesday morning, Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other leaders will hold a teleconference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his top ministers.

The White House views the conference as an opportunity to give the new government a platform on which to stake its priorities for the months ahead and plan how the US can help al-Maliki fulfil his goals.

Bush said the session would \'discuss the way forward in Iraq\' and \'analyze the new government\' to determine what \'their blueprint for the future looks like, and to figure out how we can help,\' The New York Times reported.

No reduction of US military forces in Iraq is expected as a result of the meetings, a senior administration official said Friday, according to the Chicago Tribune.