"We're changing the world, and the world will be better off and America will be more secure," said Bush

WASHINGTON, April 14 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – U.S. President George W. Bush admitted late Tuesday, April 13, that his troops in Iraq were facing "tough weeks", asserting he would send more troops if his military commanders determine this to be necessary.

Reaffirming commitment to transfer power back to the Iraqis by June 30, Bush said his administration was cooperating with the U.N. on the issue.

"We're working closely with the United Nations envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, and with Iraqis to determine the exact form of the government that will receive sovereignty on June 30th. "

With the deadline for power transfer in the offing, the American president did not specify to what party or body his troops would hand over sovereignty.

He also added that his country would seek a new U.N. resolution on Iraq to encourage world countries to contribute to the U.S.-led forces in the country, which he said would remain "as long as necessary".

Bush, whose election-year popularity ratings have fallen dramatically with spiraling troubles in Iraq, set out the grim challenges facing U.S. forces in the chaos-mired country in a 16-minute address to the nation before a press conference at the White House.

"There's no question it's been a tough, tough series of weeks for the American people. It's been really tough for the families. I understand that. It's been tough on this administration, "he admitted.

More than 75 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq since April 1 in the bloodiest two weeks for the U.S.-led occupation troops since the fall of Baghdad one year ago.

Authorizing his forces to use "decisive force" to do "the right thing" in the oil-rich country, Bush insisted that "we will finish the work of the fallen".

On report comparing Iraq to Vietnam, he said the U.S. occupation troops must "stay the course because the end result is in our nation’s interest".

"This is hard work. It's hard to advance freedom in a country that has been strangled by tyranny."

The wartime president vowed to crush the Iraqi resistance fighters across and put out the Shiite uprising "incited by a radical cleric named [Moqtada] al-Sadr. "

"He's been indicted by Iraqi authorities for the murder of a prominent Shiite cleric, "Sheikh Abdel Majid Al-Khoei, Bush said.

The Iraqi Jurists Association said last week that the U.S. arrest warrant against Sadr was “illegal and based on a lie”.

"He [Sadr] has assembled some of his supporters into an illegal militia and publicly supported the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, "Bush claimed.

"Although these instigations of violence come from different factions, they share common goals. They want to run us out of Iraq and destroy the democratic hopes of the Iraqi people. "

On the restive town of Fallujah, the scene of bloody clashes between U.S. troops and resistance fighters, Bush said the U.S. military has suspended offensive operations, "allowing members of the Iraqi Governing Council and local leaders to work on the restoration of central authority in that city. "

But the situation on the ground tells a different story. The occupation troops breached Tuesday the ceasefire reached days ago, killing at least nine Iraqis and wounding up to 38 others.

Additional Troops 

Asked if additional troops are needed now in Iraq, Bush answered: "I will send them. If additional resources are needed, we will provide them. "

"Troop strength now and in the future is determined by the situation on the ground…First of all, that's up to [the head of U.S. Central Command] General Abizaid… It's coming up through the chain of command. And if that's what he wants, that's what he gets, "he said.

"Generally, we've had about a 115,000 troops in Iraq. There's 135,000 now as a result of the changeover from one division to the next. "

Gen. Abizaid has already asked Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to extend U.S. troop rotation in Iraq this spring, which will keep 10,000 more soldiers in the country.

Concern in the U.S. has also mounted as thousands of troops have seen their return from Iraq delayed by the mounting resistance operations.

‘Unthinkable’

He warned that the consequences of failure in Iraq would be "unthinkable" and that the enemies of American "would celebrate" if the U.S. troops fail there.

"Every friend of America in Iraq would be betrayed to prison and murder, as a new tyranny arose, proclaiming our weakness and decadence, and using that victory to recruit a new generation of killers. "

"We're changing the world, and the world will be better off and America will be more secure as a result of the actions we're taking, "he argued.

No Specific Plan

"The president made it clear that he intends to stubbornly cling to the same policy that has led to a greater risk to American troops," said Kerry

But Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry slammed Bush for failing to offer an specific plan for stabilizing Iraq and ending the American occupation at his press conference.

"Tonight, the president had the opportunity to tell the American people what steps he was going to take to stabilize the situation in Iraq. Unfortunately, he offered no specific plan whatsoever, "Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Kerry as saying in a statement.

"With deaths mounting and American sacrifice increasing, its time he offered a specific plan that secures real international involvement, gets the target off the backs of our troops, and starts to share the burden in Iraq. "

"The president made it clear that he intends to stubbornly cling to the same policy that has led to a greater risk to American troops and a steadily higher cost to the American taxpayer. "

Kerry, Bush's main rival in the November 2 election, said the U.S. should seek to internationalize efforts to bring peace to Iraq.

"We need to internationalize the effort and put an end to the American occupation. We need to open up the reconstruction of Iraq to other countries. We need a real transfer of political power to the U.N.," he said.

Bush’s press conference came as his approval rating hit one of the lowest points ever since he took office in January 2001.

For the latest quarter beginning January 20, Bush averaged a 50.9 percent job approval rating, down from 55.4 percent in the final quarter of 2003, according to Gallup Tuesday Briefing poll data.

"This marks the lowest quarterly average of his presidency to date, nearly five percentage points below his previous low mark," Gallup said in a statement.

A new Newsweek poll showed Saturday, April 10, that Kerry now led Busy by seven points (50 percent to 43 percent) even after adding independent candidate Ralph Nader.