Bush May Reject Iraq Study Group’s Advice

U.S. President Bush’s national security adviser says his boss will listen to a bipartisan study group on Iraq, but won’t necessarily follow its advice.

The bipartisan group’s report is due Wednesday. It is expected to recommend the withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by early 2008, leaving behind trainers for Iraqi troops.

Appearing on NBC News’ Meet the Press, national security adviser Stephen Hadley said Bush “is looking forward to receiving that report. He is conducting a review. That will be important input … but the president also wants to listen to Republicans and Democrats in the Congress. He wants to have the result and hear the results of the review by his military commanders. He wants to hear what the Iraqi government thinks is the way forward.

He is going to then take all of those things and come together with a way forward, Hadley added. His hope is that it is a way forward that the American people can support, Republicans and Democrats … and the Congress.