White House thinks about Iraq compromise

WASHINGTON, June 25 (UPI) -- The White House is considering striking a deal with Congress on Iraq, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

President George Bush has told aides to explore how to craft a compromise that would meet his goals and those of opponents to the war, the newspaper reported.

One possibility could be working toward a decentralized Iraq, the Times reported.

With public support of the war dropping and battles between the Democrat-controlled Congress the White House looming, administration officials "realize they can't keep fighting this over and over," a source told the Times.

The White House has opposed bipartisan congressional proposals to partition or decentralize Iraq. But administration officials appeared to be backing off that opposition recently.

About a week ago, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said a different form of government might be more effective.

"Perhaps we have gotten too focused on the central government, and not enough on the provinces and on the tribes and what is happening in those areas," Gates told reporters, the Times reported.