Publication of the memo just as Mr. Bush was to see Mr. Maliki face to face, left the White House struggling to put a positive spin on the news on a day when it had hoped to highlight a decision by NATO members that would lift certain restrictions on troops operating in Afghanistan.
He highlighted a government decision to renegotiate £3.1bn worth of contracts with outsourcing company CSC, charged with setting up a care records system known as Lorenzo in the North, Midlands and east of England.
This was highlighted by a decision by Italy this week to cancel a 2bn euros order for its final 25 Typhoons - about a fifth of its original order - while at the same time saying it will go ahead and buy F-35 aircraft.
The decision highlighted a rift with an important ally over President Bush's push for democratic change.
"The Fabric license is the tip of the iceberg as the decision highlighted a deep-rooted and narrow-minded attitude towards nightlife," he said.
He said: "The Fabric licence is the tip of the iceberg as the decision highlighted a deep-rooted and narrow-minded attitude towards nightlife, music venues and youth culture.
The disparity between increased hospitalization and improved glycemic control highlighted a difficulty in treatment decisions for older diabetic patients.
The short time between decisions for treatment withdrawal and death, plus concerns for support management, communication and decision-making, highlighted a need to ensure excellent psychosocial assessment for all.
There was something rather unseemly then in the way head coach Warren Gatland highlighted a couple of debatable refereeing decisions - a missed forward pass here, a potential penalty try there - as reasons for a 22nd defeat in 23 Tests on his watch against the former Tri-Nations sides.
The report highlighted a number of problems, including decision-making (delay in progression to cricothyroidotomy), knowledge gaps (not understanding how available equipment worked), system failures (specific equipment not being available), and technical failures (failure to site a cannula in the airway).
