Washington, DEC 29, SPA -- President George W. Bush intends to seek more advice about a new strategy for Iraq before announcing a policy change, he said Friday after a meeting with national security advisors. We ve got more consultation to do until I talk to the country about the plan, Bush said, appearing before reporters outside an office building near his Texas ranch. He met Friday with Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The key to success in Iraq is to have a government that s willing to deal with the elements that are trying to prevent this young democracy from succeeding, Bush said. Bush has been meeting with policy advisers and experts inside and outside of the administration since the release of a report on Iraq strategy by a bipartisan study group earlier this month. He appears to be considering a troop surge, a short-term increase in the number of U.S. troops and advisers in Iraq, with the aim of quelling sectarian violence and enabling Iraqi security forces to takeover more quickly. Some military experts viewed the president s unexpected remarks last week that he backs future expansion of the overall size of the Army and Marine Corps as a hint that he plans to send in more troops. As I think about this plan, I always have our troops in mind, Bush said in a brief statement in which he thanked the troops for their service. We want to help them succeed he said, adding that I fully understand that it s important to have both Republicans and Democrats understanding the importance of this mission, he added. It s important for the American people to understand that success in Iraq is vital for our own security. If we were not to succeed in Iraq, the enemy the extremists, the radicals would have safe haven from which to launch further attacks. They would be emboldened. They would be in a position to threaten the United States of America. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/414667