Bush says US stands firm on Iraq

Bush has tied his fortunes to US success in Iraq

US President George W Bush has told the American people that the US remains firm in its commitment to Iraq, despite ongoing violence.

He vowed to provide whatever troops and services were necessary to ensure democracy in Iraq, saying: "We will finish the work of the fallen."

The president blamed the violence on various groups but insisted power would be transferred as planned on 30 June.

He said the consequences of failure in the country would be unthinkable.

But in a televised speech followed by a question-and-answer session, he insisted that recent violence across the country did not reflect the view of most Iraqis.

Iraq will either be a peaceful, democratic country or it will again be a source of violence, a haven for terror and a threat to America and to the world President Bush Analysis: Seeking to calm Excerpts: Bush on Iraq

"This is not a civil war, this is not a popular uprising, most of Iraq is relatively stable," he said.

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Washington says the president worked to portray a calm determination and resolve during his hour-long performance.

While authorising US forces to use any means necessary to maintain order, Mr Bush also said he wanted a new United Nations resolution on the reconstruction of Iraq - the first time he has made such a concession, our correspondent says.

Disparate groups

Mr Bush said the violence witnessed in Iraq in the last two weeks, the bloodiest since the war ended, was caused by a few remaining supporters of former President Saddam Hussein and Islamic militants originating both inside and outside Iraq.

He also drew attention to the riots in the south of the country led by backers of the Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr and demanded that his militia be disbanded.

Mr Bush said that the insurgents, whom he described as ruthless and extreme, were from different factions, but had a common goal. "They want to run us out of Iraq," he said.

He dismissed as "false" comparisons between the fighting in Iraq and the bloody Vietnam war which embroiled the US three decades ago.

"I also happen to think that analogy sends the wrong message to our troops and sends a wrong message to the enemy," he added.

Global consequences

Mr Bush said that failure to stay the course in Iraq, failure to rebuild it and set it on the path to democracy, would bring "unthinkable" consequences for the whole world.

He said it would embolden terrorists worldwide and that "everyone against America would celebrate, proclaiming our weakness".

Bush said US troops would remain in Iraq as long as needed

The president told the reporters gathered in the White House and his television audience that by helping to free Iraq the US forces there were "protecting their fellow citizens".

Correspondents say Mr Bush's rare primetime news conference, which began at 2030 (0030 GMT) on Wednesday, was given to quell US public concerns over the escalation of violence in Iraq, which could derail his re-election effort.

A Newsweek poll published on Saturday said 51% of Americans now disapproved of Mr Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq, compared with 44% who approved.

Mr Bush has given 11 previous news conferences as president, but only two of them have been televised live during evening primetime.

Pre-emptive strikes

After giving his speech Mr Bush fielded questions from reporters, many of which asked him about the current inquiry into the 11 September attacks on Washington and New York.

He reiterated his claim that his administration could have done nothing more to prevent the attacks, saying: "Had I had any inkling that people would be flying aeroplanes into buildings, I would have moved heaven and earth to save the country."

Mr Bush also said that the lesson of those attacks had been that America had to deal with "gathering threats" before they came to fruition, a policy that catalysed the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Mr Bush initially justified the invasion, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 670 US troops, as being necessary to rid Iraq of banned weapons of mass destruction.

However, since Iraq fell to coalition hands no such weapons have been found.