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The president sat at a long wooden table, surrounded by current and
former top foreign policy and defense officials.
There were about a dozen in attendance, split evenly between members of
past Republican and Democratic administrations dating back to the 1960s.
President Bush said he welcomed their suggestions on the way forward in
Iraq.
"Not everybody around this table agreed with my decision to go into
Iraq, and I fully understand that," said Mr. Bush. "But these are good
solid Americans, who understand that we have got to succeed now that we
are there."
He said he is grateful for their ideas and promised to "take to heart"
their advice. But the president made clear he does not plan any major
changes in his Iraq strategy.
"We have a dual track strategy for victory," he added, "On the one
hand, we will work to have a political process that says to all Iraqis:
'the future belongs to you.' On the other hand, we will continue to work
on the security situation there."
His guests were briefed on that strategy and the current situation on
the ground in Iraq by top military commanders and the U.S. ambassador to
Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad . Current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were also present to help update their
predecessors.
After the session, Harold Brown, who served as former President Jimmy
Carter's secretary of defense in the 1970s, spoke with reporters. He said
the situation in Iraq is difficult, but there are signs of progress.
"My own belief is that the evolution of the political situation there
over the next few months is going to be crucial to how it all turns out,"
he said.
Others attending the meeting included President Bush's first-term
secretary of state, Colin Powell, and several former Clinton
administration officials. They left the White House quietly, and made no
public comments after the session. | 
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