South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun expressed his hope that U.S. President George W. Bush's plan for a reduction in troops in Iraq by next summer will bring peace to the war-torn country, Roh's office said Wednesday following a phone call between the leaders. Bush called Roh on Wednesday night and explained his new policy on Iraq, according to a statement posted on the Web site of Roh's office. Bush will tell Americans on Thursday evening that he plans to reduce the U.S. troop presence in Iraq by as many as 30,000 by next summer but will condition those and further cuts on continued progress, The Associated Press has learned. Roh «hoped that the efforts of President Bush and the U.S. government for peace and reconstruction in Iraq will bear fruits through the success of the new policy on Iraq,» Roh's office said of the 15-minute phone conversation. South Korea has 1,200 troops in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil to support the U.S.-led reconstruction of Iraq.
