Washington, Feb 26, SPA -- The White House on Monday said that the Iraqi government is asking for American presence in the country, despite widespread support for the pullout of U.S. troops from the country. White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said that U.S. President George W. Bush has made strong efforts to work towards reconciliation between the Sunni and Shiite sects in Iraq, which she said have been successful on “a political level.” Perino also added that despite the widespread negativity surrounding the war which is now in its fifth year, “the Iraqi government wants us [the United States] there,” adding that Iraq’s “neighboring countries want us there,” too. The White House’s comments also came the same day that the Pentagon announced that the United States expects to have 140,000 troops in Iraq in July after withdrawing five combat brigades, leaving a force larger than before it began the 2007 surge. Army Lieutenant General Carter Ham, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also told reporters that the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan is expected to climb to an all-time high of 32,000 troops by late summer, from about 28,000 today. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/530616