Monday, September 18, 2006

Bush faces doubts at U.N. ahead of speech over Iran, Iraq policy

NEW YORK, Sept 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush faced growing international skepticism over his policies for Iran and Iraq as he arrived in New York on Monday to try to rally support at a U.N. General Assembly session.

Bush addresses world leaders at a time when his administration is confronted by an array of foreign policy woes and at home by a Democratic challenge to wrest control of Congress from his fellow Republicans in November's election.

His speech on Tuesday to the 192-nation General Assembly will focus on his vision for Middle East democracy, a source of doubt in many world capitals given unrelenting violence in Iraq three years after a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a frequent critic of Bush's approach in Iraq, said there was "grave danger" of civil war and the breakdown of the Iraqi state if trends persist.

Read the rest at Reuters