Bush asserts progress in Iraq war, not lost

East Grand Rapids (Mich), Apr 21: President George W Bush today rebuffed a top Democrat's charge the Iraq war was lost and asserted progress despite some of the worst carnage this week since Bush ordered more troops to the region.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has been hit with a barrage of criticism from the White House and its allies after declaring yesterday that ''this war is lost'' and that the troop buildup the president recently ordered was ''not accomplishing anything.'' Speaking before a world affairs forum in Michigan, Bush said the two-month-old security crackdown under which he had ordered the deployment of 28,000 more US troops to Iraq was ''meeting expectations'' and said the ongoing violence reflected an expected counter-reaction by insurgents.

''There are still horrific attacks in Iraq such as the bombings in Baghdad on Wednesday, but the direction of the fight is beginning to shift,'' Bush said.

Insurgent bombs killed almost 200 people in Baghdad on Wednesday, the same day Bush met Reid and other lawmakers at the White House in a clash over the Democrats' plans to attach troops withdrawal timetables to a war-funding bill.

The meeting did not achieve any breakthroughs, but Reid told reporters on Thursday that he had compared Iraq with Vietnam and advised Bush not to persist in fighting a losing battle, With congressional Republicans pouring scorn on Reid, labeling him a ''defeatist,'' the Nevada Democrat took to the Senate floor on Friday to defend himself, Reid said the ''White House spin machine was working overtime'' to defend Bush's failed policies and said Bush and his allies were attacking those with ''courage to ask the tough questions, to tell the truth about Iraq.

''The longer we continue down the president's path, the further we will be from responsibly ending this war,'' Reid declared.

Growing Suuport

More than 3,300 US soldiers have been killed since the US-led invasion of Iraq in spring of 2003 and polls have suggested growing support among Americans for attempts by Democrats to set a timetable for a withdrawal.

Bush said it might not be possible to fully assess whether the security plan is working until later this year but he cited fewer execution-style killings in Baghdad and a decision by some local sheiks in volatile Anbar province to cooperate with U.S. forces as signs of progress.

The fight over the funding bill increasingly appears headed for a showdown in which Democrats send Bush a bill as early as next week that will contain timetables.

He has repeatedly vowed to veto any legislation with a pullout date. If he follows through, a resolution of the conflict could be weeks away. Democrats could try to override the veto but if they could not summon enough votes, they might have to consider whether to draft a new bill with language more acceptable to Bush.

The area of Michigan where Bush visited is near the hometown of former President Gerald Ford, who died in December.

Bush paid tribute to Ford, a fellow Republican in his public remarks and later laid a bouquet of white roses at the former president's gravesite.

Ford disagreed with Bush over the decision to invade Iraq, according to accounts by journalists who interviewed him before he died.

Reuters

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