WASHINGTON: US President George W. Bush conceded on Wednesday that his Iraq policy was “not working well enough, fast enough”, after announcing Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was stepping down.Bush, speaking at a news conference after Democrats won control of the House of Representatives from his Republican party, said he and Rumsfeld agreed that a “fresh perspective” was needed on Iraq. Tuesday's election outcome was widely seen as voters' rebuke to Bush's handling of the unpopular war.
Commenting on the resignation, Iraqi government spokesman Ali Al Dabbagh said: “This is an internal issue for the United States. We are dealing with an administration, not persons. We are committed to an understanding with the administration.”
On the comment Iraq was not “going well enough, fast enough” he said: “We feel the same, that things are not going fast enough on the security level. There should be more coordination, there should be more say for Iraqis.”
“We think it's possible to have an improvement in Iraq.”
Italy Prime Minister Roman Prodi said: “The resignation means a speeding up of the change in US politics. We will see in the coming weeks what will be the new direction. Certainly we have a political structure which, in the executive, in the House and in the Senate, is profoundly different from what it was a few days ago.”
France Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said: “I think that without a doubt. Donald Rumsfeld must have considered that the war in Iraq, in which he was very involved, was part of the electoral response by the American people and that he drew the conclusions.”
An academic and member of the United Iraqi Alliance, a dominant Shia bloc, said: “His resignation was not a surprise. The military strategy they have used won the war but failed to bring stability. I don't think his resignation will have an effect on the ground as our problems are too great.”
A member of Iraqi parliament from the alliance led by Moqtada Al Sadr, Fattah Al Shaikh, said: “The US administration has decided to change its agenda for Iraq. Rumsfeld has become the scapegoat for the change to take effect. I expect (US Ambassador Zalmay) Khalilzad to follow him in a matter of days.”
Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat US Senator, said: “The resignation is welcome. It's overdue. It's very clear for a predominant number of Americans that stay-the-course is not working.”
“It's very clear that this was in the works, that if the election went south that Rumsfeld would step down.”
“He (Bush) also owes the American people a timetable.”
“I hope if there is a timetable we will have everybody out by '07. I think it's realistic, it's practical, it's can-do.”—Reuters
