EON

Washington (EON) – Two days ahead of the progress report on Iraq to be presented to Congress by the most senior US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, President George W Bush Saturday called for impartiality from his critics.

In his weekly radio address, the president announced that he would be presenting his new vision for the future course of the war in Iraq in the coming week.

It was a vision, which he believed the “US people and its elected representatives” could support, he said.

Together they could go forward towards strengthening Iraqi democracy, stabilizing the situation in the Middle East, thus assuring the greater security of the United States, he said.

According to media reports, the president was planning to make a television appearance on Thursday or Friday evening to present his new vision for Iraq.

In his radio address, Bush emphasized the progress made in the Iraq province of Anbar, which he visited Monday. Violence has been curbed in the area and local administration was once again functioning in the province with the support of the Baghdad government, he claimed.

Bush appealed to members of Congress, General Petreaus and the US Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, not to jump to hasty conclusions in presenting their reports on progress in Iraq on Monday and Tuesday.