THE US: Making a rare visit to Capitol Hill yesterday, US President Bush began a concerted drive to regain the initiative over Iraq by laying out the case to Republican Congress members for "staying the course", writes Conor O'Clery in New York
Mr Bush plans a major speech on his Iraq policy on Monday, and may travel to New York in the coming weeks to urge the UN Security Council to support a post-June 30th caretaker Iraq government.
The President's visit to Congress came as his approval ratings slipped well below 50 per cent, and Republican House and Senate members expressed serious concern about November's elections.
Mr Bush received several standing ovations for his pep talk, in which he asked fellow Republicans to "keep the faith", according to legislators who attended. Sen John McCain gave two thumbs up as he emerged and said, "He laid out a pretty strong case for staying the course in Iraq."
Mr Bush told Republicans that Iraqis were ready to "take the training wheels off" and assume some political power, but warned that violence was likely to worsen as that transfer date approached.
Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell said yesterday he was confident the US could secure a UN resolution endorsing the interim government being assembled by UN envoy Mr Lakhdar Brahimi.
He told a meeting of coalition diplomats in Washington that when Mr Brahimi brought forward his "slate of officers", the US would quickly move it to the Security Council and to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for approval.
At the UN the deputy American ambassador, Mr John Cunningham, called on member-states to help provide a special protective force for UN personnel assisting with preparations for future elections.
"We must expand international security forces to support the return of United Nations international personnel to Iraq," he said. "We are working to establish a unit within the MNF (multinational force) under unified command to provide dedicated security for United Nations personnel."