WASHINGTON (AFP) — President George W. Bush called the fighting in Basra a "positive moment" for the development of Iraqi security forces and proof the Baghdad government could defend itself.
In an interview with foreign media Wednesday, a week before a NATO summit, Bush also praised staunch ally Britain, and went out of his way to laud France for its military commitment in Afghanistan, in the latest sign of warming relations with Paris.
The US leader said he supported the Iraqi government's forceful response to "criminal elements" in the southern city of Basra, and viewed it as emerging evidence that Iraq could govern and defend itself.
"It was a very positive moment in the development of a sovereign nation that is willing to take on elements that believe they are beyond the law," Bush said.
"And secondly, we are helping, but it's important to know that the Iraqis are in the lead. This is a positive moment in the development of a nation that can govern itself and defend itself and sustain itself," he said.
"We will provide oversight and, on occasion, support when asked. This is an Iraqi operation," Bush said, in the interview conducted before reports of new violence in Basra, Baghdad and the central city of Kut.
Fighting has raged in four cities since Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Tuesday ordered the security forces to raid strongholds of Shiite militiamen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the southern port city of Basra.
Since then, at least 105 people have been killed in Iraq as the fighting spread to other cities. According to reports from security officials Thursday, 23 have died in Basra, 44 in Kut, 30 in Baghdad's Sadr City and eight in Babel province.
Bush has been in intensive meetings with his military commanders this week ahead of a decision of future US troop levels in Iraq.
"We have made substantial gains but it's still a fragile situation," the US leader said, adding the decision would be based not on "who can scream the loudest" but on "whether or not we can maintain the successes we've had."
"I understand people here want us to leave, regardless of the situation, but that will not happen so long as I'm Commander in Chief," said Bush, whose leaves the White House in January 2009.
Bush heaped praised on Britain as Washington's "greatest ally," despite its decision to scale back its military presence in Iraq, while welcoming France's announcement it would send more troops to Afghanistan.
"It's going to be hard for any nation to trump Great Britain as our -- United Kingdom as our greatest ally," Bush said, when asked if France was now emerging in that role.
He said Britain's decision to hand Basra over to Iraqi control in December was not premature but "based upon success."
"You were there from day one, and you were there during the very heavy fighting," he told a British reporter.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in October announced plans to cut British troop numbers in Iraq from 4,100 to around 2,500 early this year.
On Wednesday, on a visit to London, Sarkozy announced that France would boost its military presence in Afghanistan, without indicating precisely how many more troops would be deployed, or where.
France currently has some 1,600 soldiers in the country, mainly in the relatively peaceful capital Kabul.
The announcement came ahead of an April 2-4 NATO meeting in Romania that is expected to see pledges of more troops from other countries in answer to calls for more international assistance in battling a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan.
Bush called Sarkozy's announcement "a very important preamble to the NATO conference ... It will pretty much ensure that this conference is a successful conference."
"No question the relationship is changing for the better, and President Sarkozy gets a lot of credit for that," Bush said of US-France relations since Sarkozy was elected 10 months ago.
"I like him personally. He's an interesting man ... a highly energetic, decisive person," he added.
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