Bush tightens focus on Iraq, Palestine

President Bush laid out plans in his State of the Union speech to spread democracy across the Middle East, starting with Iraq.

President George W Bush laid out plans in his State of the Union speech late Wednesday to spread democracy across the Middle East -- starting with Iraq and a Palestinian state living at peace with Israel.

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"To promote peace and stability in the broader Middle East, the United States will work with our friends in the region to fight the common threat of terror, while we encourage a higher standard of freedom," Bush said.

Speaking to a joint session of the US Congress and a television audience of millions, Bush had tough words for Syria and Iran and a rare message to allies Egypt and Saudi Arabia that they, too, must embrace democratic reforms.

Bush said that Sunday's elections in Iraq had opened "a new phase" for US-led efforts there, and declared that American troops would increasingly play "a supporting role" to fledgling Iraqi security forces.

But he categorically rejected calls to set a specific timetable for pulling the roughly 150,000 US troops from that war-torn country, saying: "That would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out."

"In the end, Iraqis must be able to defend their own country -- and we will help that proud, new nation secure its liberty," the president said 22 months after he ordered the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.