WASHINGTON, March 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad has said that U.S. President George W. Bush does not want Iraqi Premier Ibrahim al-Jaafari to remain as the country's leader in the next government, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

    Khalilzad passed on "the personal message from President Bush" to Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the main Shiite political bloc at a meeting on Saturday, said Redha Jowad Taki, a Shiite member of Parliament.

    Khalilzad said Bush "doesn't want, doesn't support, doesn't accept" Jaafari as the next prime minister, the Times quoted Taki, a senior aide for the head of the Shiite bloc, as saying.

    It was the first "clear and direct message" from America on a specific candidate for prime minister, Taki said.

    The Shiite bloc, which won a plurality in the parliamentary election in December, nominated Jaafari last month to retain his post for four more years.

    A spokeswoman for the American Embassy confirmed that Khalilzadmet with Hakim on Saturday. But she declined to comment on what was said, the Times said.

    In Washington, the State Department said it would not comment on diplomatic conversations, but deputy spokesman of the department Adam Ereli reiterated America's support for "a government of national unity with strong leadership that can unify all Iraqis." Enditem