WASHINGTON – Acknowledging painful losses in Iraq, President Bush said Wednesday he is not satisfied with the progress of the long and unpopular war, but he still insisted the United States was winning and should not think about withdrawing.
Thirteen days before elections in which Republicans fear Iraq could cost them control of the House or Senate, Bush expressed unwavering confidence in Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the U.S. generals running the war and Iraq’s prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, despite new strains between Baghdad and Washington.
“The ultimate accountability rests with me,” Bush said of Iraq. “If people are unhappy about it, look right to the president.”
Despite polls suggesting a Democratic takeover of at least the House, Bush said he was confident Republicans would prevail. Dismissing Democrats’ hopes, Bush said, “We’ve got some people dancing in the end zone here in Washington, D.C. … measuring their drapes.”
Now in its fourth year, the war is the top campaign issue. A majority of Americans are opposed to Bush’s handling of Iraq, and increasing numbers of Republican candidates have signaled impatience with the president’s policies as U.S. deaths have climbed above 2,800. Bush indicated he shared the public’s frustration even as he pushed back against calls for troop withdrawals.
“I know many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq,” he said before taking questions. “I’m not satisfied either.” October has been the deadliest month this year for American forces, and the war soon will have lasted longer than U.S. involvement in World War II.
“The events of the past month have been a serious concern to me and a serious concern to the American people,” the president said.
Bush said the United States was changing tactics to deal with circumstances in Iraq but shouldn’t change the overall direction of the war.
“Absolutely we’re winning,” the president asserted.
Democrats said Bush’s appearance was evidence that the war had shaken voters and the administration needed to salvage its reputation on national security. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., called the news conference an election-season “performance” to “convince Americans he has a plan for Iraq. But the president can’t sell what he doesn’t have.”
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused Bush of changing his tune. “One day, our senior military leaders indicate more troops may be needed, the next day the president discounts that option. One day, it’s stay the course, the next day it’s change the course.”
Bush rejected Democratic calls for a timetable for troop withdrawals. Currently there are 144,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.
Associated Press
President Bush speaks Wednesday in the East Room of the White House about the status of the Iraq war.
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