Bush, Iraqi leader co-host thank-you for coalition

[September 24, 2008]  UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The coalition of the willing that went to war in Iraq is becoming the coalition of the disappearing.

President Bush and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani formally thanked the shrinking band of allies at a meeting Tuesday night on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, a gathering that stood in stark contrast to the early days of his administration, when the war was hotly debated at the global forum.

"It's a pleasure to be with nations that have helped your democracy grow," Bush told Talabani in a room packed with representatives of more than two dozen countries that went to Iraq. "A lot of people around the world have made sacrifices along with the Iraqi people to enable a country to emerge from the shadows of tyranny -- become a hopeful example for nations around the world."

The coalition will dwindle from about 30 countries to a handful in the next 90 days or so, according to White House advisers. Iraq is drafting bilateral agreements with the U.S. and other countries to replace a U.N. mandate authorizing their presence that expires at year's end. The White House has not disclosed the names of countries likely to remain in Iraq after the U.N. mandate ends, saying it's up to the Iraqi government to seal agreements with those nations.

"I want to thank those around the table for showing courage and vision and resolve," Bush said.

The president was careful not to imply that all is well in Iraq. Bush's military buildup last year helped to quell violence, yet it was meant to provide breathing room for political reconciliation that hasn't been achieved. Instead, the drop in violence helped to lessen the pressure on coalition members to stay.

"Mr. President, we've still got work to do," Bush told Talabani. "But there is no doubt that the situation in Iraq has changed substantially. There's no doubt that mothers are able to send their child to school without fear of carnage. Oh, there are still killers amongst your -- in your midst, but your government has been steadfast in bringing people to justice who are trying to undermine your democracy."

Bush says 41 countries participated in the Iraq conflict, although that number has been dropping. According to a list provided by the White House, representatives of the following nations were being recognized at the meeting: Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Tonga, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

"I'm here on behalf of the Iraqi people to express my deepest appreciation for all countries who participated in the breaking Iraq from worst kind of dictatorship," Talabani said. "Of course, noble and responsible nations must bear their sacrifice in order to free the oppressed and bring citizens from the worst kind of dictatorship. Nevertheless, on behalf of the people of Iraq, I want to express my deepest condolences for your brave soldiers and civilians who have lost their lives while standing up for our shared values of freedom and democracy."

In the fall of 2002, Bush went to the United Nations and got a strong U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein give up all unconventional weapons and open his country to new arms inspections. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell's congressional testimony in early 2003 documenting Saddam's weapons programs was based, as it turned out later, on faulty U.S. intelligence.

Bush ends his three-day stay in New York on Wednesday with a meeting on free trade with leaders of nations in the Western Hemisphere. The United States has signed free trade agreements with 12 nations in the hemisphere that represent two-thirds of the region's gross domestic product and one-third of the U.S. global bilateral trade.

The president is pushing Congress to approve free trade deals with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.

"It's important for the American people to understand that exports benefit workers," he said Wednesday, standing next to Mexican President Felipe Calderon at the Council of the Americas in New York. "Half of our growth last year is the result of trade. Therefore, it's in our interest to continue to open up markets, particularly in our own neighborhood."

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[Associated Press; By DEB RIECHMANN]

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