Bush concedes ‘new approach’ needed in Iraq

PRESIDENT George W Bush yesterday said a new approach was required on Iraq, one day after a scathing report by the Iraq Study Group called for changing US strategy.

But he ruled out early talks with Iran and Syria on tackling Iraq’s unrest, after meeting Tony Blair at the White House.

Bush made the admission during a press conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, his closest ally on the Iraq war.

A high-level US Iraq Study Group report issued on Wednesday advised Bush to begin to withdraw US combat forces in 2008 and to avoid “a slide toward chaos” by launching a diplomatic push that would include Iran and Syria and a sustained US commitment to Arab-Israeli peace.

Blair has been under fire at home for his staunch support of Washington. US voters were widely seen as repudiating Bush’s approach in Iraq in November 7 elections as his Republican Party lost control of Congress.