http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050629/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Al-Jaafari, who met Bush in Washington last week, was quoted in Wednesday's edition of the London-based Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat as saying that while the Iraqi government wanted foreign troops to leave as soon as possible, a withdrawal before Iraqi security forces were ready could only benefit "terrorists."

In a bid to end the violence, U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched military operations and made arrests as politicians work to include Sunni Arabs in the political process, seen as key to taking the steam out of the insurgency.

That's why some Iraqis were reassured by Bush's speech.

"This determination not to let Iraq be plunged into civil war, chaos and instability is important for Iraqis," said Shiite lawmaker Abbas al-Bayati. "To set a timetable for the withdrawal is to give in to terrorism and to reward fanatics."