Kerry: Bush Should Push Allies to Help on Iraq [View All]

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040628/pl_nm/campaign_kerry_dc&cid=615&ncid=1473

BALTIMORE (Reuters) - The United States must make security in Iraq (news - web sites) the top priority there and should press allies to share the burden, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) said on Monday.

Speaking on the day sovereignty was returned to Iraq, Kerry also said America's allies and NATO (news - web sites) must provide concrete help to ensure that Iraq's security can be stabilized, U.S. troops can return home and to guarantee stability to the new government in Baghdad.


"As we look forward today, there are very important challenges so that we can finish our mission and get our troops home," Kerry said at an impromptu press conference on the tarmac at Baltimore-Washington airport. "We have to focus on the top-level priority of providing adequate security."


The Massachusetts senator said America has paid about 90 percent of the costs of the Iraq occupation to date and should not have to take the brunt of providing security there, noting, "NATO needs to recognize its responsibility here."

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