U.S. President George W. Bush is mapping out defense strategy with his top defense advisers as U.S. deaths in Iraq inch toward 1,000 and the election campaign focuses intently on his and Democrat John Kerry's credentials for keeping the nation safe. "This is a chance for the president and other military leaders to get outside of Washington, D.C., and have a good detailed discussion about key defense priorities," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said of the meeting Monday at the president's ranch. Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice were among those set to attend. Gen. George Casey, the senior U.S. officer in Iraq, and Gen. John Abizaid, head of the U.S. Central Command, planned to participate via a video conference hookup. Bush's fourth annual meeting on defense priorities focuses on Iraq and threats to national security in the future.
