Bush sends top aide to Baghdad (AFP)

[Eugene]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Bush sends top aide to Baghdad

Thu May 31, 4:31 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush on Thursday
announced that he was sending his top day-to-day adviser on
Iraq to Baghdad to press leaders there on halting efforts to
promote national reconciliation.

"We call them benchmarks, political law necessary to show the
Iraqi citizens that there is a unified government willing to work
on the interests of all people," he told visiting Iraqi
President Jalal Talabani.

Bush said he was sending the White House national security
council's top hand for Iraq and Afghanistan, Meghan O'Sullivan,
to Baghdad to help US Ambassador Ryan Crocker work with
Iraqi leaders on making political progress.

"She's going back to serve with Ambassador Crocker to help
the Iraqis and to help the embassy help the Iraqis meet the
benchmarks that the Congress and the president expect to
get passed," said Bush.

In early April, the White House had announced that O'Sullivan
was resigning after working on Iraq since the March 2003 US-
led invasion.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070531/pl_afp/usiraqbushtalabani_070531203110