Bush, al-Yawer stick to set date for Iraqi elections

The US president has stressed the need of holding the Iraqi elections at their date set on January 30th despite the escalation of the attacks against the American and Iraqi forces.

George W. Bush linked during the talks he held at the White House with the interim Iraqi President Ghazi Ojeil al-Yawer and the Jordanian king Abdullah II between the Iraqi elections and the attack against the American consulate in Jeddah saying "the terrorists are determined to get the Iraqi elections off from their track." He said that the American military leaders who are working with the American ambassador in Iraq John Negroponte and the Iraqi security forces will do every thing possible to ensure the security of all areas where the elections are taking place, ruling the possibility of guaranteeing security in all areas.

For his part, Elyawer called on the Iraqis with their all strata to take part in the elections. He criticized the position taken by the Sunni scholars which calls for boycotting the elections. He stressed he will not permit the "armies of darkness" of igniting a civil war in Iraq.

He expects the attacks against the American forces in Iraq to continue for six or 8 months or one year.