As coalition partners pull out, Bush sets no timetable

WASHINGTON -- President Bush said Wednesday he understands the desire of U.S. coalition partners to withdraw troops from Iraq, but he declined to set a timetable for bringing American forces home.

"Our troops will come home when Iraqis are capable of defending themselves," Bush told a news conference.

Bush spoke a day after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced plans to start drawing down his country's 3,000-strong contingent in Iraq amid widespread anger over the recent killing of an Italian officer by U.S. troops.

The president said he had spoken by telephone to Berlusconi earlier in the day and they talked about both Iraq and Bush's recommendation of Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz to become head of the World Bank.

"He wanted me to know there was no change in his policy that any withdrawals would be done in consultation with allies," Bush said. He said Berlusconi assured him that the Italian withdrawal would be phased and would not undermine "the ability of Iraqis to defend themselves."

More than a dozen countries have withdrawn troops over the past year, complicating efforts to keep the peace while Iraq's new government builds up its own police and military units.

Bush said he understood the desire of countries to bring their troops home. "What you're going to find is that countries will be willing, anxious" to leave -- but only when Iraqi police and security forces are capable of taking over the work now done by coalition forces.

He denied that what the administration has called the "coalition of the willing" was crumbling.

Turning to Social Security, Bush acknowledged that he was having a hard time persuading many Americans and members of Congress to support his plan for adding personal investment accounts to the nation's retirement system.

But, he said, "I believe we're making progress."

He said he recognized there would be "a tough vote" ahead on Social Security overhaul.

On still another subject, Bush said Iran must permanently ban uranium reprocessing to reassure the world that its government is not concealing a nuclear weapons program. Otherwise, Bush said he and leaders of European nations that are negotiating directly with Tehran have agreed to take the issue to the United Nations.

"The understanding is we go to the Security Council if they reject the offer," Bush said. "And I hope they don't."

Bush shrugged off a question about detainees being sent by the United States back to their home countries where they could be subject to torture.

"The United States must make sure we protect our people and our friends from attack. One way to do so is arrest people and send them back" to their home countries, he said. "We seek assurances that no one will be tortured."