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Washington -- The United States and the Iraqi interim government are working closely to address the security challenges in Iraq leading up to the Iraqi elections, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said November 8. The two countries are coordinating a military offensive on the Iraqi city of Fallujah, along with multinational forces.
McClellan said Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi made the decision to move forward, to institute additional safety measures, and to "bring to justice" the insurgents and terrorists in Fallujah who, he said, have "rejected a political solution."
He said Iraq's interim government is making decisions "in close consultation with our troops and our forces." The Bush administration and U.S. military commanders are in "close, constant contact" with Iraq's interim government and military forces, in what McClellan described as a "two-way discussion."
Efforts on behalf of the United Nations to register voters for the upcoming Iraqi elections are "moving forward," he said, and some countries have pledged to extend their troop deployments and to ensure the security of U.N workers.
"We would like to see the United Nations continue to be involved and take a greater role," McClellan said.
He said President Bush will meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair November 11-12 to discuss shared priorities and ways to work together with European allies.
McClellan said that the focus of American efforts is to train Iraqi forces and equip them with the tools to ensure their own security.
"What we're focused on doing is building the Iraqi security forces so that they can provide for their own security, and that's what ultimately we need to do," McClellan said.
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