U.S. President George W. Bush says Iraqi leaders chosen in next week's election will probably want U.S. troops to stay, but the forces will be pulled out if the new government asks, The New York Times reported on Friday. "I've heard the voices of the people that presumably will be in positions of responsibility after these elections, though you never know," Bush said in an interview with the newspaper. "But it seems that most of the leadership there understands that there will be a need for coalition troops at least until the Iraqis are able to fight." Asked whether the United States would pull its troops from Iraq at the request of a new government, Bush reiterated a position expressed by other administration officials: "Yes, absolutely, this is a sovereign government - they're on their feet." There was, he said, "a certain realism among the (Iraqi) leadership, at least the ones I've talked to, that say, 'Look there's more work to do before we are ready to move out on our own."
