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Bush still defiant over Iraq attacks

REUTERS, Washington
Struggling to maintain public support for his Iraq policy, President Bush vowed on Tuesday US forces would not leave Iraq and said he never misled Americans about the difficulties of occupying the country.
During a subdued Rose Garden news conference, Bush tempered his oft-stated refrain that major progress is being made in Iraq nearly six months after standing on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and declaring major combat operations over.
"Iraq is dangerous, and it's dangerous because terrorists want us to leave, and we're not leaving," he said.
The president sought to drive home a "stay the course" message a day after suicide bombers drove carloads of explosives into five buildings around Baghdad, killing 35 people and wounding 230 in the bloodiest day since President Saddam Hussein was ousted in April.
The extent of the coordinated attacks stunned the White House as Bush strove to maintain Americans' backing for keeping US forces in Iraq to create conditions for a democratic government and search for alleged weapons of mass destruction that the war was fought over and that have not been found.
Reflecting some sensitivity, Bush said it was not White House staff
who put up a "Mission Accomplished" banner on the Abraham Lincoln during his May 1 appearance, adding it was the aircraft carrier's staff who hung the sign because the ship itself was concluding a long overseas mission.
"My statement was a clear statement, basically recognizing that this phase of the war for Iraq was over, and there was a lot of dangerous work," he said.
Bush, under fire from Democratic presidential candidates who said he needs to put forward a plan to stabilize Iraq, said the strategy for dealing with attacks was to increase security around potential targets with blockades and checkpoints and keep US strike forces ready to move against the guerrillas.
"But as well, we've got to make sure that not only we harden targets but that we get actionable intelligence to intercept the missions before they begin. That means more Iraqis involved in the intelligencegathering systems in their countries, so that they are active participants in securing the country from further harm," he said.
Bush seemed to be using the news conference to underscore that much hard work remains in Iraq, a day after he told reporters that the guerrilla attacks should be seen as a sign of progress because they show the desperation of those trying to drive out the Americans.
"It's dangerous, and it's tough," he said.
Bush, who has complained in the past that foreign militants were crossing into Iraq from Syria and Iran to take up arms against US forces, said he expected those two countries to enforce border controls to stop infiltrators, but toned down his rhetoric against them.
"We're working closely with
those countries to let them know that we expect them to enforce borders, prevent people from coming across borders if, in fact, we catch them doing that," he said.
Bush gave no sign that he intends to either withdraw some US troops or send in more as some military analysts have suggested. Asked about increasing troop strength, Bush said he constantly asks Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld if this was needed and has been told there are sufficient forces there.
He said Army Gen. John Abizaid, the top commander for US forces in Iraq, "makes the decision as to whether or not he needs more troops."
Bush also defended the $20 billion in reconstruction money for Iraq he has proposed. Some members of Congress want to make some of the money in loans instead of grants.
Bush said this would saddle the Iraqi people with unnecessary debt, and he compared the situation to postwar Japan, saying the United States has a close relationship with Japan now because of postwar assistance