In Indonesia, Bush defends his Iraq policy

BOGOR, Indonesia With President Bush beside him, the president of the world's most populous Muslim nation called Monday for other countries to help stabilize Iraq and for developing a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops.

At a joint news conference, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono didn't specify which countries should be brought in to help, but he emphasized that "the global community must be also responsible in solving the problems in Iraq."

While he mentioned that the U.S. should work toward "a proper timetable" for "the disengagement of U.S. military forces and other coalition forces from Iraq," he implicitly rejected calls for an abrupt pullout, and Bush said Yudhoyono hadn't urged him to do that.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam President Bush travels to Indonesia Monday on a mission to tamp down anti-American sentiment in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

He's got his work cut out for him. Thousands of protesters gathered even before his arrival, a local shaman put a curse on him and Indonesian officials went on alert for possible terrorist activity.

More than 20,000 police and security agents have been mobilized to help protect the president during his seven-hour stopover. Bush will meet with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Bogor, about 45 miles south of Jakarta, after wrapping up a weekend trip to Vietnam.

BOGOR, Indonesia Addressing a nation with more Muslims than any other country, and a young democracy where many are fiercely protesting U.S. policies in Iraq and the Middle East, President Bush said Monday that he welcomes criticism as the hallmark of freedom, "a sign of a healthy society."

President Susilo Yudhoyono reported that Bush heard "open, frank ... sometimes critical" comments in a private meeting with civic leaders. While Bush said Yudhoyono had not asked him to start withdrawing American troops from Iraq, the Indonesian leader did suggest publicly that a comprehensive solution for Iraq should include "a proper timetable for disengagement of U.S. military forces."