Bush to acknowledge doubts in Iraq strategy

By Steve Holland

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Reuters) – In a nationally televisedspeech, President Bush will acknowledge doubts about his Iraqwar strategy but argue that it is worth it a year after themuch-trumpeted U.S. transfer of power to Iraqis gave way to anendless stream of death.

“We have more work to do, and there will be tough momentsthat test America’s resolve,” Bush planned to say in an 8 p.m.(0000 GMT) speech. “We are fighting against men with blindhatred, and armed with lethal weapons, who are capable of anyatrocity.”

No significant shift in course was expected from Bush,whose approval ratings have fallen to the lowest levels of hispresidency in part because of growing fears about Iraq.

Instead, he planned to plead for patience, insisting thatU.S. troops will stay in Iraq until sufficient number of Iraqimilitary units are trained to defend against an insurgency thaton Tuesday assassinated a prominent member of the Iraqiparliament and killed two U.S. soldiers.

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

A Washington Post-ABC News poll found most Americans didnot believe the administration’s assertions of impressive gainsagainst the insurgency. But a clear majority said they werewilling to keep U.S. forces there for an extended time tostabilize the country.

The White House said Bush will acknowledge the toughfighting and suicide bombings in Iraq but will also explain”why the terrorists are failing.”

“The terrorists can kill the innocent — but they cannotstop the advance of freedom,” Bush will say.

He will cite the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as a reason forstaying the course. No connection between Saddam Hussein andthe Sept. 11 attacks was ever established, but the White Housenow calls Iraq the central front in the war on terrorism inpart because the insurgency is led by Jordanian militant AbuMusab al-Zarqawi, who has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda leaderOsama bin Laden.

“The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget thelessons of Sept. 11, if we abandon the Iraqi people to men likeZarqawi and if we yield the future of the Middle East to menlike bin Laden,” Bush will say.

Before the speech from Fort Bragg, which has 9,300 troopsin Iraq, Bush met privately with family members of 33 soldierskilled in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 1,700 Americans havedied in the Iraq war and thousands more have been wounded.

Bush was to speak to an audience of about 700 troops. FortBragg and neighboring Pope Air Force Base have lost 89 troopsin Iraq and Afghanistan.

With Democrats and some Republicans in Congress pressuringthe administration to show results in Iraq or pull out, theWhite House billed the speech as a major effort by Bush to makehis case at a critical “time of testing.”

Bush has rejected calls by some lawmakers for setting adeadline to withdraw U.S. troops, warning that to do so wouldembolden the insurgents.

“The American people do not falter under threat — and wewill not allow our future to be determined by car bombers andassassins,” Bush will say in his speech.

Bush’s opponent in last year’s presidential campaign,Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry, said in a speech onthe Senate floor that Bush should give Americans more than anew communications strategy in the face of a spreadinginsurgency.

“This is a growing challenge, and we need to take immediatesteps to address it. Our officer corps reports that every timeour troops kill or capture an insurgent, three more stepforward to take his place,” Kerry said.

Bush’s speech comes on the anniversary of the handover ofsovereignty, and aides said he would point to last January’sIraqi elections and work on a new constitution as signs ofprogress.

MILITARY COMMITMENT

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

“We should demonstrate to the Iraqis that our willingnessto 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.

The Bush administration has confused Americans with anumber of conflicting statements about Iraq.

Bush declared last week the insurgency “will be defeated,”but Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has insisted it would beup to the Iraqis to beat the insurgency.

Last month Vice President Dick Cheney said the insurgencywas in its “last throes,” a statement the White House hasdefended but Pentagon leaders have not repeated. (Additionalreporting by Adam Entous)