'As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down' says Bush

FORT BRAGG, North Carolina - US President George W. Bush acknowledged doubts about his Iraq strategy in a major address on US prime time television but argued it was worth it a year after the much-trumpeted transfer of power to Iraqis gave way to a nightmarish stream of suicide bombings.

"We have more work to do, and there will be tough moments that test America's resolve," Bush said in remarks aimed at quelling doubts among Americans concerned about the rising US death toll.

"We are fighting against men with blind hatred, and armed with lethal weapons, who are capable of any atrocity."

He announced no shift in course and instead pleaded for patience, insisting that US troops will stay in Iraq until a sufficient number of Iraqi military units are trained to defend against an insurgency that earlier in the day assassinated a prominent member of the Iraqi parliament and killed two US soldiers.

Bush, whose approval ratings have fallen to the lowest levels of his presidency in part because of growing fears about Iraq, cited progress in the training of Iraqis and said setting a deadline for a US withdrawal as some members of the US Congress have demanded would be a "serious mistake."

"Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country," said Bush.

Bush argued against sending more US troops to Iraq to bolster the 138,000 already there, saying it would "undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight."

The US military has had difficulty recruiting, including in the Army, which provides most of the US ground troops in Iraq.

In the face of complaints from Democrats that he has offered no strategy for success in Iraq, Bush said his plan was to get Iraqis trained sufficiently so US troops can leave while at the same time assisting Iraq's efforts to write a constitution and hold elections.

"Our strategy can be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down," he said.

He invoked the attacks of September 11, 2001, and quoted al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as a reason for staying the course.

No connection between Saddam Hussein and the September 11 attacks was ever established, but Bush said Iraq is a central front in the war on terrorism in part because the insurgency is led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who has sworn allegiance to bin Laden.

"The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September 11, if we abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like bin Laden," Bush said.

He cited a comment from bin Laden that "this third world war ... is raging" in Iraq. "He says it will end in 'victory and glory or misery and humiliation,"' said Bush.

To bolster the point, he said US military officials have reported killing or capturing hundreds of foreign fighters in Iraq who have come from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen and Libya.

Increasingly, Americans see the war as separate from 9/11. A USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll this week found for the first time that by a margin of 50 per cent to 47 per cent, Americans see the war in Iraq as separate from the war on terrorism.

Before the speech from Fort Bragg, which has 9300 troops in Iraq, Bush met privately with family members of 33 soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 1700 Americans have died in the Iraq war and thousands more have been wounded.

Fort Bragg and neighbouring Pope Air Force Base have lost 89 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll found most Americans did not believe the administration's assertions of impressive gains against the insurgency. But a clear majority said they were willing to keep US forces there for an extended time to stabilise the country.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said Bush did not offer a path for success.

"There is a growing feeling among the American people that the president's Iraq policy is adrift, disconnected from the reality on the ground and in need of major mid-course corrections. 'Staying the course,' as the President advocates, is neither sustainable nor likely to lead to the success we all seek," Reid said.

Bush's speech came on the anniversary of the handover of sovereignty. He pointed to last January's Iraqi elections and work on a new constitution as signs of progress.

Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan urged Bush to make clear that Iraq must meet its timetable to adopt a constitution, or the United States would re-evaluate its military commitment.

"We should demonstrate to the Iraqis that our willingness to bear that burden is not unlimited," they said in a letter.

Iraqis are scheduled to write a constitution by mid-August, vote on it in October then hold new elections in December.

- REUTERS