``It's in our interests to help liberty prevail in the Middle East, starting with Iraq,'' Bush said today at a news conference with Maliki in Amman, Jordan. ``That's why this business about a graceful exit simply just has no realism to it at all. We're going to help this government.''

Bush's remarks followed a morning meeting with Maliki that was intended to draw out the Iraqi prime minister's plans to try to stem rising sectarian violence and speed the transfer of security responsibilities to Iraqi forces from U.S. troops.

The session occurred against a backdrop of attacks and reprisals by sectarian factions in Iraq and domestic pressure on the president to begin lessening U.S. involvement in Iraq. Maliki is facing his own political pressures. The parliamentary bloc led by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced yesterday it's suspending its participation in the government to protest Maliki's meeting with Bush.

``We talked today about accelerating authority to the prime minister so he can do what the Iraqi people expect him to do, and that is bring security to parts of this country that require firm action,'' Bush said. ``He believes we've been slow in giving him the tools needed to protect the Iraqi people.''

Transfer of Security

Maliki said both sides were ``very clear'' about the importance of speeding up the transfer of security responsibility.

Afterward, Maliki said his government will step up training of its police and army at the start of the new year and ``by next June our forces will be ready.''

Asked in an interview with ABC News whether that meant the U.S. could begin drawing its troops, Maliki said he couldn't answer for Bush administration.

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