President George W. Bush insisted on Wednesday the US-led coalition in Iraq was not crumbling and he shrugged off Italy's decision to begin pulling troops from Iraq by September. "Quite to the contrary," Bush said when asked if the coalition was falling apart. "I think the coalition has been buoyed by the courage of the Iraqi people." Nearly two years after the Iraq war began, Bush hailed the first meeting of Iraq's national assembly as a "bright moment" and that Iraq's elections, a Syrian pullout from Lebanon, and Israel and the Palestinians talking peace could produce change elsewhere in the Middle East.
"I believe those examples will serve as examples for others over time," he told a White House news conference. "And that will lead to more peace, and that's what we want."
The decision by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a close Bush ally, to start withdrawing Italy's 3,000 troops from Iraq was a blow to the US-led coalition. It came after US troops killed an Italian secret service agent and wounded an Italian journalist in what Washington has called a tragic accident that remains under investigation.
Bush said he spoke to Berlusconi and the prime minister told him "any withdrawals would be done in consultation with allies and would be done depending upon the ability of Iraqis to defend themselves."
Bush acknowledged countries with troops in Iraq were anxious to bring them home once Iraqi forces are trained and able to defend themselves against an insurgency that has launched suicide bombings and attacks against coalition forces and the fledgling Iraqi government.
"There's positive signs that have taken place in the development of the Iraqi security force, and there's still work to be done. Our allies understand that," he said.
Bush came into the White House briefing room almost two years after launching a war with the aim of toppling Saddam Hussein for not giving up weapons of mass destruction.
The weapons were never found and more than 1,500 Americans have been killed in a conflict against an insurgency that critics say has grown because of the US presence. Bush now sees Iraq as a place where democracy can take root in the Middle East.
To that end, he said he was not worried about whether Iraq's parliament will be able to form a new government, which rival political blocs are squabbling over.
Bush repeated Syria must withdraw all troops and intelligence personnel from Lebanon to allow for free parliamentary elections there in May.
"Hizbollah is on the terrorist list for a reason, and remain on the terrorist list for a reason. Our position's not changed on Hizbollah," he said.
Bush also said he hoped a long-time adviser, Karen Hughes, will be able to lead an effort to burnish America's image in the Muslim world once she takes a job at the State Department for that purpose.
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