Bush calls for Iraqi government

The president is conducting a public relations blitz on Iraq

US President George W Bush has said Iraqi leaders must urgently form a government to unify the nation.

Rival political groups in Iraq have been unable to agree on a candidate for prime minister, more than three months after elections for a new parliament.

Speaking to military families West Virginia, Mr Bush said he understood Americans' deep concern about Iraq, three years after the invasion.

The speech comes at a time when his popularity is at an all-time low.

Mr Bush has been making a series of speeches to coincide with the third anniversary of the US-led invasion.

The BBC's James Coomarasamy in Washington says the addresses have contained unusually frank exchanges between Mr Bush and members of the public and press.

'Come together'

Mr Bush said Iraq urgently needed to have a representative government to help curb the civil strife which has affected parts of the country in recent months.

"It's time for a government to get stood up," he said. "There's time for the elected representatives - or those who represent the voters, the political parties - to come together and form a unity government."

He added that Iraq's security forces had to be prepared to fight for their country's future.

"It's the Iraqis' fight," he said.

"These troops that we're training are going to have to stand up and defend their democracy."