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Bush lauds Iraqi security, political gains

DAYTON, Ohio, March 27 (UPI) -- The surge in U.S. troops deployed to Iraq not only improved the country's security, but also its economic and politics outlook, President Bush said Thursday.

"The progress isn't glamorous, but it is important," Bush said during a speech at the U.S. Air Force museum in Dayton, Ohio.

The surge did what it was supposed to do: improve security conditions and offer breathing room for political and economic progress once security was achieved.

The Iraqi security force is growing in its capability, he said. Pointing to the "tough battle" in Basra, Bush said Iraqi military leaders planned and are leading the operation.

The surge also yielded "major changes" in Iraq's political landscape as well, Bush said. Citizens have "restarted the political processes" on the neighborhood and municipal level, which have bubbled up to a national level.

He also pointed to Iraqi lawmakers passing bills that move along reconciliation, a budget, provincial elections and codified revenue-sharing from oil.

"It is a revolutionary undertaking," Bush said.

"The surge is doing what it was designed to do," Bush said. "It is helping Iraqis reclaim security" and restore a normal daily life.

Pentagon: Iraq stepped up to face militias

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- Fighting between Iraqi security forces and Shiite militias could be a sign of the government's ability to take on its own problems, the U.S. military said.

However, others say it's too soon to tell how fighting in Basra and other Iraqi cities will affect the country's overall security, Voice of America reported Thursday.

The National Security Network, a critic of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, said the escalating fighting indicates a collapse of the ceasefire called by the Mahdi Army militia's leader, Moqtada al-Sadr.

"It looks like it's breaking down. If it is, in fact, breaking down and not just a temporary blip, then you could have a major increase in violence," NSN policy director Ilan Goldenberg told VOA.

The Pentagon views the fighting differently, spokesman Geoff Morrell said.

"I do not think at this stage anyone is prepared to stand here and tell you that they feel as though the gains we've made over the past several months are in jeopardy," he said.

Morrell said the Iraqi government's decision to face the militias is a good sign because it shows the government is "willing and now able to take the fight to the extremists and to the criminals."

Bush, Putin to meet, discuss missile base

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush announced plans to visit Russian Vladimir Putin next month, saying he hopes to move ahead on a U.S. missile defense system in Europe.

Bush will travel April 6 to the Russian resort Sochi at Putin's invitation, following a weeklong trip in Eastern Europe highlighted by the NATO meeting, The Washington Times said.

Russia seemed to more willing to consider the proposed radar and missile base after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates developed a proposal addressing Moscow's security concerns during their recent trip to Russia.

"Hopefully, we could advance our dialogue so that at some point in time we could reach agreement on this important matter (of the missile defense system)," Bush told the foreign media. "I'm optimistic we can reach accord on very important matters."

National security adviser Stephen J. Hadley said Bush will seek "to find a way in concrete terms to reassure Russia that the radar and missile installation" are designed to head off threats from the Middle East "and are not aimed at Russia."

In May, Putin will hand over the presidency to President-elect Dmitry Medvedev and will become Russia's prime minister.

Pelosi chided for superdelegates comments

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- Backers of Sen. Hillary Clinton chided U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for suggesting superdelegates back the candidate with the most pledged delegates.

In their letter, fundraisers for Clinton's bid to be the Democratic presidential nominee also urged Pelosi to respect the superdelegates' right to support whomever they want, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

"You suggested (in a recent television interview) superdelegates have an obligation to support the candidate who leads in the pledged delegate count as of June 3rd, whether that lead be by 500 delegates or 2," Clinton's backers wrote.

Pelosi, who hasn't endorsed either Clinton, D-N.Y., or Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has said she believes it would harm the party if superdelegates were perceived as overriding the popular vote, her office said.

The candidates weighed in on the issue as well, with Clinton's camp accusing Obama of "trying to shut this race down," and the Obama campaign accusing the fundraisers of withholding financial support from Democratic Party campaign committees.

Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television and one of those who wrote to Pelosi, said contributions wouldn't be affected.

"This is just fair play," Johnson told the Post.

U.S. seeks green card change

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. immigration service is seeking more "logical, common sense" rules for judging green card applicants tied to attempted overthrow of foreign dictators.

In a decision that could affect thousands of pending applications for permanent U.S. residence, the agency said it would temporarily stop automatically denying green cards to such refugees and other legal immigrants, The Washington Post reported.

Jonathan Scharfen, deputy director of U.S. Citizenship and bc-us-greencardImmigration Services, told the Post the cases of hundreds of others denied green cards since December will also be re-examined. All the affected applicants are living in the United States under refugee or other visa provisions or political asylum.

Most applications involve people linked to groups defined as "undesignated terrorist organizations" because they took armed action against a foreign government. But, that also includes U.S. allies that fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Post said.