I don't feel abandoned on Iraq: George W Bush

Washington, Feb 1: President George W Bush today said ''I don't feel abandoned'' by fellow Republicans in Congress who are working with Democrats to protest his Iraq policy with a congressional resolution.

In a television interview, Bush shrugged off criticism of his plan to send 21,500 more US troops to Iraq and said he hoped lawmakers would give US forces what they needed to get the job done.

Some of Bush's Republican allies are breaking with him over Iraq as the war becomes more unpopular and his job approval numbers wane.

The Senate is poised to take up a resolution opposing Bush's new strategy with a debate expected next week.

''I don't feel abandoned,'' Bush told Fox News Channel's ''Neil Cavuto.'' ''And what do you expect? When times are good, there's millions of authors of the plan. When times are bad, there's one author, and that would be me.'' Bush planned to meet House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, and other members of a congressional delegation that just returned from a visit to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bush, who last week called himself the ''decision-maker'' with the power to decide what to do with US troops, drew criticism yesterday from Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, who said the president ''is not the sole 'decider,''' that Congress had a role as well.

Bush said he saw the comment as Specter wanting to make sure Congress was heard.

''They get to decide funding levels, for example. And my hope is of course that they would make sure our troops have what it takes to do the jobs that I've asked them to do. But you shouldn't be surprised that members of the legislative body want to have input,'' Bush said.

With some in Washington predicting Bush only has four to six months to show his plan can work before demands grow for a US disengagement from Iraq, Bush said he understands the skepticism.

He said he believes Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is starting to fulfill his pledges.

''I say he is in the process of performing. Well, let me tell you what that means. It means moving more Iraqi troops into Baghdad. It means going after murderers regardless of their religious persuasion,'' Bush said.

With two years left in office Bush insisted he is not thinking about the end of his term and expressed no worries about his job approval numbers, which show barely a third of Americans like the job he is doing.

''I guess I could try to be popular. But I've always found that somebody who tries to be popular is one who may end up compromising principle, and I'm not that kind of person. I base decisions on principle. I'll change tactics, but I'm not going to change my principles and try to become, you know, momentarily popular,'' he said.

Reuters

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