Bush's New Year's resolution: Keep troops safe

Last Updated: Thursday, December 28, 2006 | 2:40 PM ET

CBC News

President George W. Bush wants more consultation with Congress and the Iraqis before "coming to closure" on a plan for Iraq, he told reporters outside his Texas ranch on Thursday.

Emerging from talks with his national security team, Bush said one of his New Year's resolutions was to make sure U.S. troops would remain safe in Iraq and that the U.S. would "help this young democracy survive and thrive, and therefore write a new chapter of peace."

Bush offered no details about a new strategy on the war in Iraq, but declared they were "making good progress" on crafting a plan.

"We've got more consultation to do until I talk to the country about the plan. The key to success is to deal with elements there that are trying to prevent this young democracy from succeeding," he said, backed by his advisers Vice-President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace and Secretary of Defence Robert Gates.

The president did not take any questions from reporters.

Bush repeated his belief that "success in Iraq is vital to our own security," and said he wanted to ensure Democrats understood the importance of the mission.

The president has been under political pressure from critics to review his administration's policies on Iraq. He is expected to announce in a national address details about the U.S. strategy on the war shortly into the new year.