Bush Cozies Up to More Foreign Leaders

Bush will urge Germany and other NATO allies to stay in the fight in Afghanistan where violence this year has been the deadliest since the Taliban's ouster. Gordon Johndroe, a National Security Council spokesman, said Bush would like to hear about Merkel's recent trip to Afghanistan. Merkel, meanwhile, wants to impress upon Bush the need to keep Russia a partner in facing international challenges, at a time when Moscow's support is crucial for additional sanctions against Tehran for its suspected atomic weapons ambitions.