Bush says he is open to new tactics in Iraq

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) U.S. President George W. Bush today said he was always open to new tactics to quell the violence in Iraq but insisted an early pullout was the wrong strategy.

Two senior Republicans, former secretary of state James Baker and Virginia Senator John Warner, have offered assessments on Iraq that differ with President Bush's.

Mr Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said after a trip to Iraq that the situation there was ''drifting sideways.'' President Bush told a news conference that he believed that Senator Warner's message was, ''if the plan that's in place is not working, we need to adjust.'' ''I completely agree,'' he added.

Mr Baker, who co-chairs an independent bipartisan panel reviewing Iraq policy, has said there are alternatives other than ''stay the course and cut-and-run.'' President Bush said he was eager to see Baker's recommendations, expected sometime after November 7 congressional elections, but said the United States could not ''leave before the job is done.'' A team of American and Iraqi public health experts have calculated that about 655,000 Iraqis have died as a result of the U.S.-led invasion and subsequent violence. But Bush told the the news conference he did not think the estimate was credible.

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