Bush, Blair stand firm on Iraq mission

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair acknowledged difficult times in the Iraq war they launched together in 2003, but both vowed to keep troops there until the new Iraqi government takes control.
"Despite setbacks and missteps, I strongly believe we did and are doing the right thing," Bush said Thursday evening in a White House news conference with Blair. "Not everything has turned out the way we hoped."
For his part, Blair declared that after a meeting earlier this week with Iraq's new prime minister, "I came away thinking the challenge is still immense, but I also came away thinking more certain than ever that we should rise to it."
Blair, here for talks with Bush that will spill over to today, briefed Bush on his discussions in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who said his forces are capable of taking control of security within 18 months.
But neither Bush nor Blair would give specifics on when soldiers from their countries can begin to go home.
"We're going to work with our partners in Iraq, the new government, to determine the way forward," Bush said. He said the goal remains "an Iraq that can govern itself and sustain itself and defend itself."
Bush declined to discuss news reports that the Pentagon hoped that the U.S. force, now at 131,000 troops, could be reduced to 100,000 by year's end.
He called that "speculation in the press." He said he has not discussed troop levels with commanders on the ground. "We'll keep the force level there necessary to win," Bush said.
Britain has about 8,000 troops in Iraq.
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