WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush will meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Jordan at the end of the month, the White House said.
The meeting was announced Tuersday aboard Air Force One as Bush and his entourage traveled to Washington from Hawaii. During the flight national security adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters the two leaders would discuss Iraq's reconstruction progress on Nov. 29-30.
Hadley said Bush "is going to be in the region anyway" for a NATO summit in Latvia and will fly to Amman on the invitation of Jordanian King Abdullah for the meeting.
Bush and Maliki will hear from a joint commission they founded on the transition of security responsibility from U.S. to Iraqi forces.
Hadley said "we're not looking for a big, bold announcement," as the two leaders communicate on a regular basis via satellite telephone but the geographic proximity made a meeting worthwhile.
"There is really no substitute for the two men getting together, sitting across a table and talking face to face," Hadley said.
