The Hindu : International : June 30 deadline stays: Bush

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Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

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International

June 30 deadline stays: Bush

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, APRIL 6. The United States President, George W. Bush, has said that in spite of what took place over the weekend in Iraq, the U.S. will be staying the course in that country and that there are no plans to move back the June 30 deadline for the transfer of sovereignty.

"We are now in the process of deciding what the entity will look like to whom when we will transfer sovereignty. But, no, the date remains firm," the President remarked to the travel pool in North Carolina. "... My judgement is that the closer we come to the deadline, the more likely it is people will challenge our will. In other words, it provides a convenient excuse to attack... I think throughout this period there is going to be tests. We were tested in Fallujah. And the desire for those who do not want there to be a free and democratic Iraq is to shake our will through acts of violence and terror," Mr. Bush said.

"And we have got to stay the course and we will stay the course. The message to the Iraqi citizens is, they do not have to fear that America and will turn and run," Mr. Bush said.

The President's insistence that there will not be a move back from the June 30 deadline for the transfer of sovereignty has to be seen in the context of calls from even Republican quarters for the administration to do some serious re-thinking on the issue.

On Sunday, the Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar, called for a debate on the subject and raised questions on the June 30 deadline, saying that security in that country is in shambles. "The real issue is June 30, how we are going to make that transition," Mr. Lugar said.

Asked if transferring power in less than three months would be premature, the Indiana Republican responded: "It may be and I think it is probably time to have that debate."

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