US staying in Iraq, says Bush

WASHINGTON - In a televised address to the nation today, President George W. Bush will argue that the United States must stay the course in postwar Iraq despite the cost in lives and money, and press for more international help.

The speech, at 12.30 today (NZ time), appears likely to be an effort to reassure Americans about the mission in Iraq and to shore up support for its growing price tag.

Bush may also feel he needs to respond to harsh criticism from Democrats who charge that the Administration has mishandled the war's aftermath.

Analysts said the speech could provide a key test for Bush, whose approval ratings have been dropping in polls.

The President, who faces a re-election fight next year, saw his rating fall sharply from last month in a Zogby America poll of likely voters.

Forty-five per cent gave him positive marks for job performance in the survey, down from 52 per cent last month and the lowest since January 2001, the month he took office.

In a Time magazine/CNN poll of registered voters, the President's approval slid to 52 per cent. The same poll recorded 63 per cent approval for Bush back in May.

"Bush's foreign policy is in trouble," said Douglas Brinkley, a professor of American government at the University of New Orleans.

"This is not an optional speech. It's a political imperative for a President who wants to win re-election next year."

Brinkley said Bush needed to level with increasingly sceptical Americans about what lay ahead.

Vice-President Dick Cheney, in remarks on Saturday that may foreshadow what Bush will say, acknowledged that the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan have come with sacrifice.

But, he added: "We will stay in Afghanistan and Iraq to make absolutely certain that the job is done before we move on."

Facing almost daily attacks on US troops in Iraq and a mounting death toll, the Administration last week shifted gears by dropping its resistance to a broader United Nations role in Iraq.

The Administration is hoping to secure a new UN resolution on Iraq that will clear the way for other countries to contribute troops and cash.

Initial American proposals were rejected by France and Germany, which opposed the US invasion of Iraq and want the United States to go further in broadening the UN's role.

Aides said two themes will emerge in Bush's speech, coming just before the second anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

One is that the US must confront its foes abroad rather than let them attack US targets at home. The other is that a peaceful, democratic Iraq in the heart of the Middle East would undermine the militants.

"The President will clearly articulate to the public the very specific strategy that we're engaged in and making sure that we prevail," said a senior official.

Bush might use the White House speech to announce how much he is requesting from Congress to finance the military deployment in Iraq and its reconstruction. He is said to be considering a request for around US$65 billion ($114 billion), although some sources said that could be expanded to around US$80 billion.

If his previous remarks are a guide, Bush will draw a link between the mission in Iraq and efforts to fight terrorism.

Criticism of US handling of security in Iraq has grown louder after the August 19 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad and the August 29 car bombing in Najaf that killed at least 83 people.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq