Transcript of President Bush and Prime Minister Allawi Press Conference

— -- BUSH: Thank you all for coming. I'm honored to stand with the prime minister of a free andsovereign Iraq. Welcome, Mr. Prime Minister.

I applaud your leadership and your courage. I'm honored to welcome a friend to the White House.

ALLAWI: Thank you.

BUSH: Mr. Prime Minister, you've accomplished a great deal in less than the three months since the transition to a free Iraq that isgoverned by Iraqis. These have been months of steady progress,despite persistent violence in some parts of your country.

Iraqis and their leaders are engaged in a great and historicenterprise: to establish a new democracy at the heart of a vitalregion.

As friends of liberty, the new leaders of Iraq are friends ofAmerica and all civilized nations.

As enemies of tyranny and terror, the people of Iraq and theAmerican troops and civilians supporting their dreams of freedom havebeen the target of acts of violence. The enemies of freedom are usingsuicide bombing, beheadings and other horrific acts to try to blockprogress.

We're sickened by the atrocities. But we'll never beintimidated. And freedom is winning.

Mr. Prime Minister, America will stand with you until freedom andjustice have prevailed. America's security and Iraq's future dependon it.

The Iraqi people are showing great courage and greatdetermination. As terrorists have attacked Iraqi security forces,still more brave Iraqis have come forward to volunteer to serve theircountry.

BUSH: As killers have attempted to assassinate governmentsofficials, Iraq's leaders have refused to be intimidated and the vastmajority of Iraqis remain committed to democracy.

The path to our safety and to Iraq's future as a democraticnation lies in the resolute defense of freedom.

If we stop fighting the terrorists in Iraq, they would be free toplot and plan attacks elsewhere, in America and other free nations.To retreat now would betray our mission, our word and our friends.

Mr. Prime Minister, America will keep its commitments.

The path ahead is difficult, because a free Iraq has deadlyenemies. Remnants of the old regime and terrorist groups want toprevent Iraq's elections and demoralize Iraq's allies.

Because of that, Prime Minister Allawi and I believe terroristviolence may well escalate as the January elections draw near. Theterrorists know that events in Iraq are reaching a decisive moment.If elections go forward, democracy in Iraq will put down permanentroots and terrorists will suffer a dramatic defeat.

And because Iraq and America and our coalition are standing firm,the Iraqi people and not the terrorists will determine Iraq's future.

There's much at stake.

Mr. Prime Minister, you recently said, "The war in Iraq now isnot only an Iraqi war, it is a war for the civilized world to fightterrorists and terrorism. And there is no route but the route ofwinning."

Prime Minister Tony Blair recently called the struggle in Iraqthe crucible in which the future of global terrorism will bedetermined.

BUSH: I share the view of these strong leaders that Iraq is acentral front in the war on terror and our only option is victory.

We're making steady progress in implementing our five-step plantoward the goal we all want: completing the mission so that Iraq isstable and self-governing and American troops can come home with thehonor they have earned.

The first step was achieved on June 28th, not only on time, butahead of schedule, when the coalition transferred full sovereignty toa government of Iraqi citizens.

The second step is to help Iraq's new government establishstability and security. Iraq must be able to defend itself and Iraqisecurity forces are taking increasing responsibility for theircountry's security.

Nearly 100,000 fully trained and equipped Iraqi soldiers, policeofficers and other security personnel are working today and that totalwill rise to 125,000 by the end of this year. The Iraqi government ison track to build a force of over 200,000 security personnel by theend of next year.

With the help of the American military, the training of the Iraqiarmy is almost halfway complete. And in Najaf and other importantareas, Iraqi military forces have performed with skill and success.

In Najaf, Iraqi and coalition forces effectively surrounded,isolated and engaged enemy militias. Prime Minister Allawi and hisgovernment reached out to the local population to persuade citizensthe path to a better future would be found in political participationand economic progress.

BUSH: The interim government then negotiated from a position ofstrength to end the standoff.

Serious problems remain in several cities. Prime Minister Allawibelieves this combination of decisive action and outreach to peacefulcitizens is the most effective way to defeat terrorists and insurgentsand secure the peace of Iraq. And America stands with him.

The third step in our plan is to continue improving Iraq'sinfrastructure. On television sets around the world we see acts ofviolence, yet in most of Iraq children are about to go back to school,parents are going back to work and new businesses are being opened.

Over 100 companies are now listed on the Iraqi stock exchange,and an average of five new companies are joining each week.Electricity has been restored above prewar levels. Telephone servicehas increased dramatically. More than 2,000 schools have beenrenovated and millions of new textbooks have been distributed.

There's much more work to be done. We've already spent more than$1 billion on urgent reconstruction projects in areas threatened bythe insurgency. In the next several months over $9 billion will bespent on contracts that will help Iraqis rebuild schools, refurbishhospitals and health clinics, repair bridges, upgrade the electricitygrid and modernize the communication system.

Prime Minister Allawi and I both agree that the pace ofreconstruction should be accelerated. We're working toward that goal.

The fourth step in our plan is to enlist additional internationalsupport for Iraq's transition to democracy. The multinational forceof some 30 nations continues to help secure a free Iraq. We honor theservice men and women of Great Britain, Bulgaria, Denmark, ElSalvador, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland,Slovakia, Spain, Thailand and Ukraine who've died, besides Iraqis andAmericans, for the cause of freedom and security of the world.

BUSH: Our coalition is grateful that the United Nations hasreestablished its mission in Baghdad. We're grateful to the G-8countries and the European Union for pledging support to the new Iraqigovernment. We're grateful to the NATO alliance for helping to trainIraqi forces. We're grateful to many of Iraq's creditors which haveagreed to have further reduction of Iraq's debt.

Because all nations have an interest in the success of a freeIraq, I urge all nations to join in this vital cause.

The fifth and most important step in our plan is to help Iraqconduct free, national elections no later than next January. An Iraqielectoral commission is now up and running and has already hiredpersonnel and is making key decisions about election procedures.

Just this week the commission began a public education campaignto inform Iraqis about the process and encourage them to becomevoters. The United Nations electoral advisers are on the ground inIraq, though more are needed. Prime Minister Allawi and I have urgedthe U.N. to send sufficient personnel to help ensure the success ofIraqi elections.

At every stage in this process of establishing self-government,the Iraqi people and leaders have met the schedules they set and haveovercome their challenges with confidence. And under this good man'sleadership they will continue to do so.

The war for Iraq's freedom is a fight against some of the mostruthless and brutal men on Earth. In such a struggle there will begood days and there will be difficult days. But every day our resolvemust remain firm.

Prime Minister, today I want to leave you and the nation youserve with a clear message: You have not faltered in a time ofchallenge and neither will America.

Thank you for your leadership. You honored us with your visit.

ALLAWI: Mr. President, thank you for those kind words.

ALLAWI: It is an honor to be here today in your nation'scapital.

It is a great honor to share this platform with you, a leader whoworked tirelessly for the liberation of my country.

These last few days have been difficult for us Iraqis, for youAmericans and for all our allies.

Let me start by saying that my thoughts and prayers are with thefamilies of those fighting today in Iraq, and in particularly with thefamilies of those who have lost loved ones at the hands of theterrorists or the insurgents.

Like this nation, which in the face of such brutality arestanding strong against terrorism, so we Iraqis will not be cowed bythe terrorists.

Your government and my government understand what is at staketoday in Iraq.

Today, we fact a concentrated campaign by terrorists and by theenemies of all the values which we hold dear; a campaign to shake ourresolve and to prevent Iraq and Iraqis from attaining the freedom anddemocracy which we have dreamed of for more than the last 30 years.

These terrorists understand all too well that success in Iraqwill be an enormous blow for terrorism worldwide, and an enormous stepforward for peace and stability in the Middle East and in the widerworld.

I thank you, Mr. President, for your determination to stand firmwith us in Iraq and for the unflinching message which you aredelivering to our enemies.

Mr. President, I stand here today as a prime minister of acountry emerging finally from dark ages of tyranny, aggression andcorruption.

Like you, I knew how evil Saddam Hussein and his regime trulywere. Like you, I knew the damage he had brought on his country.Like you, I knew of the wars he had started and the dangers he posedto my region and the world.

Or at least I thought I knew for I, like millions of otherIraqis, were forced into exile, realizing that we could only fightSaddam from outside Iraq. Even then we were not safe as I, myself,can testify.

ALLAWI: But when I returned to Iraq, following the liberation ofmy country, I was truly shocked by just how much damage Saddam haddone in his 30 years of rule.

Iraq is a deeply scarred society in a very troubled region.Today we are witnessing all too vividly the true extent of the damagewhat Saddam inflicted on our society.

Mr. President, Iraqis thank God, thank America and thank ourallies that Saddam is gone. We are safer, the region is safer, theworld is safer without him. But the scars will take time anddetermination to heal.

Again, Mr. President, I thank you for your leadership.

We had an excellent meeting today building on the talks we had onTuesday in New York. We discussed the challenges ahead of us and howto confront them. We discussed the plan to take Iraq through thesedifficulties and to ensure that democratic elections take place ontime next year.

And we discussed the importance of maintaining the strength ofthe coalition and the support of the international community inhelping us to succeed.

As we discussed, the plan focuses on building democracy,defeating the insurgency and improving quality of life for theordinary Iraqis. Our political plan is to isolate the terrorists fromthe communities in which they operate. We are working hard to involveas many people as we can in the political process, to cut the groundfrom under the terrorists' feet.

Of course, we know that terrorism cannot be defeated withpolitical tools alone, but we can weaken it. Ending local supporthelps us to tackle the enemy head on to identify, isolate anderadicate this cancer.

ALLAWI: Our military plan will enable us to build and maintainsecurity across Iraq. Ordinary Iraqis are anxious to take overentirely this role and to shoulder all the security burdens of ourcountry as quickly as possible.

We do not want the multinational force to stay in Iraq anymorethan you want to remain there. But for now we need you, we need thehelp of our American and multinational partners while we continue toaccelerate the training of the Iraqi security forces.

The Iraqi government now commands almost 100,000 trained andcombat-ready Iraqis, including police, national guard and army. Thegovernment has accelerated the development of Iraqi special forces andestablished the counter-terrorist strike force to address the specificproblems caused by the insurgency.

Our intelligence is getting better every day. You have seen thatin the successful resolution of the Najaf crisis and in the targetedattacks against insurgents in Fallujah.

Finally our economic plan is to improve the everyday lives ofIraqis as we deliver both political and security progress. Here,thanks to a large extent to the generous security and reconstructionfunding approved by the United States Congress, work is under way.

Oil pipelines are being repaired. Basic services improved.Streets and homes rebuilt. Schools, hospitals and clinics reopened.Thousands of Iraqis have new jobs. Salaries have been increaseddramatically, in many cases five or four timings over. Iraq'seconomy, freed from the stranglehold of a failed Baathist ideology,has finally started to flourish.

ALLAWI: Mr. President, we also discussed the importance ofholding free and fair national and local elections this coming Januaryas planned. I know that some have speculated, even doubted whetherthis date can be met. So let me be absolutely clear that electionswill occur in Iraq on time in January because Iraqis want elections ontime.

In 15 out of 18 Iraqi provinces, the security situation is goodfor elections to be held tomorrow. Here Iraqis are getting on withtheir daily lives, hungry for the new political and economic freedomsthey are enjoying. Although this is not what you see in your media,it is a fact.

The Iraqi elections may not be perfect. They may not be the bestelections that Iraq will ever hold. They will undoubtedly be anexcuse for violence from those who despair and despite liberty, aswere the first elections in Sierra Leone, South Africa and Indonesia.But they will take place and they will be free and fair.

Finally, Mr. President, a word about international resolve. Iraqcannot accomplish this alone. The international forces of tyranny andoppression are lined up against us. Iraq is now the main battlegroundbetween the forces of hope and the forces of fear.

ALLAWI: This is a struggle which will shape the future of ourworld.

Already Iraq has many partners. More than two dozen countriesare represented in Iraq with troops on the ground. We Iraqis aregrateful for each and every one of these courageous men and women.

The United States, the European Union, the G-8 have lent theirstrong support. NATO, just yesterday, increased its commitment toIraq. Many more nations have committed to our future in the form ofeconomic aid. I am grateful for the support. I look to my Arabbrothers to join us fully.

I know it is difficult, but the coalition must stand firm. Whengovernments negotiate with terrorists, everyone in the free worldsuffers. When political leaders sound the sirens of defeatism in theface of terrorism, it only encourages more violence.

Working together, we will defeat the killers. And we'll do thisby refusing to bargain about our most fundamental principles.

I understand, while faced with the daily headlines, there arethose doubts. I know, too, that there will be many more setbacks andobstacles to overcome. But these doubters underestimate our countryand they risk fueling the hopes of terrorism.

Mr. President, there are those who want to divide our world. Iappeal to you, who have done so much already to help us, to ensurethey don't succeed.

ALLAWI: Thank you.

BUSH: We'll take a couple of questions now.

QUESTION: Two more Americans have been beheaded, more than 300Iraqis have been killed in the last week, Fallujah is out ofgovernment control and U.S. and Iraqi forces have been unable to bringsecurity to diplomatic and commercial centers of Baghdad.

Why haven't U.S. forces been able to capture or kill al-Zarqawi,who's blamed for much of the violence? And what's your answer toGeneral John Abizaid's statement that, "I think we will need moretroops than we currently have"?

BUSH: If that's what he says -- he was in my office thismorning, he didn't say that to me. But if he were to say that, I'dlisten to him. Just like I've said all along that when our commanderssay that they need support, they'll get support, because we're goingto succeed in this mission.

The first part of the question was how come we haven't foundZarqawi? We're looking for him. He hides. He's got an effectiveweapon and that is terror.

I said yesterday that our military cannot be defeated by thesethugs. But what they do is behead Americans so they can get on the TVscreens. And they're trying to shake our will and they're trying toshake the Iraqis' will. That's what they're trying to do.

And like all Americans, I'm disgusted by that kind of behavior,but I'm not going to yield. We're not going to abandon the Iraqipeople. It's in our interests that we win this battle in the war onterror.

See, I think that the Iraq theater is a part of the war onterror.

BUSH: That's what the prime minister said as well. He believesthe same thing. He understands what's going on there; after all, helives there.

And I believe that if we wilt or leave, America's security willbe much worse off. I believe that if we fail in Iraq, it's thebeginning of a long struggle. We will not have done our duty to ourchildren and our grandchildren.

And so that's why I'm consistently telling the Iraqi citizensthat we will not be intimidated. That's why my message to Mr. Zarqawiis, "You cannot drive us out of Iraq by your brutality."

It's tough work, everybody knows that. It's hard work. But wemust not allow the actions of a few -- and I emphasize that. I saythat because there are 25 million Iraqis, by far the vast majority ofwhom want to live in a free society. And we cannot allow the actionsof a few to determine the fate of these good people as well as thefate of the security of the United States.

ALLAWI: May I, Mr. President?

BUSH: Sure.

ALLAWI: I just have a few words to say to his question.

We cannot really substitute Iraq for Fallujah. Fallujah is asmall part of Iraq. There are insurgents and terrorists who areactive there for geographical reasons.

The people of Fallujah are adamant that they should, wheneverthey are capable, to get rid of the insurgents. We have been talkingto them. I have been talking to them, engaged in dialogue. My deputymet with the Fallujah tribes two days ago.

ALLAWI: Things are moving in the right direction. And we arehitting insurgents and terrorists in this part of the world.

To have more troops, we don't need. What we need really is totrain more Iraqis because this is ultimately for Iraqis -- for Iraqisecurity forces to take responsibility for their own security and todefend the rest of the civilized world.

What is happening, sir, in Iraq is really -- Iraq is becoming afront line for a global fight against terrorists.

So that's why Zarqawi is not alone. There are other groupssimilar to Zarqawi. There are groups who are insurgents who havestained their hands with the murders of the Iraqi people who areSaddam's loyalists. They are working together.

We assure you that we are going to defeat these evil forces inIraq and throughout the world.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) level with the American people about howtough it is there. How do your respond to him?

BUSH: It's hard work in Iraq. Everybody knows that. We see iton our TV.

My message is that we will stay the course and stand with thesepeople so that they become free. It's in our national interest we doso.

I believe this is a central part in the war on terror. I believethat when we succeed in Iraq that America will be more secure.

I also know that a free Iraq will send a clear message to thepart of the world that is desperate for freedom.

It's hard work. The American people know that. But I believeit's necessary work.

BUSH: And I believe a leader must be consistent and clear andnot change positions when times get tough. And the times have beenhard. These are hard times.

But I understand what mixed messages do. You can embolden anenemy by sending mixed messages. You can dispirit the Iraqi people bysending mixed messages. You send the wrong message to our troops bysending mixed messages.

That's why I will continue to lead with clarity in a resoluteway. Because I understand the stakes. These are high stakes andwe'll succeed.

Is anybody here from the Iraqi media? Why don't we? Yes,please, sir. Standing next to a fine man, indeed.

QUESTION: (SPEAKING IN ARABIC)

BUSH: I'm not so sure I agree with that.

QUESTION (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The question to you, Mr.President: What are the plans to accelerate the arrival of the funddonated by various countries around the world, the countries that arecontributing to the rebuilding of Iraq, in order to encourageinvestments in Iraq, particularly with a very high unemployment rate?

BUSH: Right. There are at least three aspects to thereconstruction projects. One is our own money.

And as I mentioned in my remarks, there's $7 billion committed.We've got more money to spend and we will spend it when contracts arelet. And when there's enough security in certain neighborhoods to beable to spend the money wisely.

BUSH: And secondly, part of making sure that the Iraq balancesheet is in good shape is to continue to work on debt reductions.

I named former Secretary Jim Baker to go around to the creditornations. He received some commitments. And I believe that the worldwill make its decision later on this year as to how much debtreduction there'll be in Iraq.

And thirdly, as you mentioned, other nations have pledged help tothe Iraqi people, and there will be a donors conference in Japan, kindof an accountability conference, for people to come and explain wherethey are in meeting their different promises.

QUESTION: Mr. President, you say today that the work in Iraq istough and will remain tough, and yet you travel this country and thecentral theme of your campaign is that America is safer because of theinvasion of Iraq.

Can you understand why Americans may not believe you?

BUSH: No. Anybody who says that we're safer with Saddam Husseinin power is wrong.

We went into Iraq because Saddam Hussein defied the demands ofthe free world. We went into Iraq after diplomacy had failed and wewent into Iraq because I understand, after September 11th, we musttake threats seriously before they come to hurt us.

And I think it's a preposterous claim to say that America wouldbe better off with Saddam Hussein in power. I certainly know thatthat's the case for America and I certainly know that's the case forthe Iraqi people.

These are the people who were tortured. This good man was in bedin a London flat and he wakes up with two Saddam henchmen there withaxes trying to cut him to pieces with an ax.

And fortunately, he's alive today. Fortunately, we call himfriend and ally. But he knows what it means to have lived under asociety in which a thug like Saddam Hussein would send people withaxes to try to kill him in bed in a London flat.

No, this world is better off with Saddam Hussein in prison.

QUESTION: Sir, may I just follow? Because I don't think you'rereally answering the question. I mean, I think you're responding to Senator Kerry. There arebeheadings regularly, the insurgent violence continues, and there areno weapons of mass destruction.

QUESTION: My question is, can you understand that Americans maynot believe you when you say that America is actually safer today?

BUSH: Imagine a world in which Saddam Hussein were still inpower. This is a man who harbored terrorists: Abu Abbas, Abu Nidal,Zarqawi. This is a man who's a sworn enemy of the United States ofAmerica. This is a man who used weapons of mass destruction.

Going from tyranny to democracy's hard work. But I think theargument that says that if Saddam Hussein were still in power we'd bebetter off is wrong.

QUESTION: Sir, I'd like you to answer Senator Kerry and othercritics who accuse you of hypocrisy or opportunism, when on the onehand you put so much stock in the CIA when it said Saddam Hussein hadweapons of mass destruction, and now say it is just guessing when itpaints a pessimistic picture of the political transition.

And I'd like to, if you don't mind, follow on something the primeminister just said. If General Abizaid says he needs more troops andthe prime minister says he does not want more troops, who wins?

BUSH: Let me talk to General Abizaid. As I said, he just camein to see me. And I want to make sure -- I'm not suggesting any ofthe reporters here might be taking something out of context; thatwould never happen in America. But nevertheless I do want to sit downand talk to him about it.

Obviously, we could work this out. I mean, if our commanders onthe ground feel it's in the interest of the Iraq citizens to providemore troops, we'll talk about it. That's why they're friends, thatwhat we do about friends.

First part of the question? Oh, yes, yes, yes.

QUESTION: Those who say you've been opportunistic...

BUSH: Got it.

Listen, the other day I was asked about the NIE, which is anational intelligence estimate. This is a report that talks aboutpossibilities about what can happen in Iraq, not probabilities.

BUSH: I used an unfortunate word, "guess." I should have used"estimate."

And the CIA came and said, "This is a possibility, this is apossibility and this is a possibility." But what's important for theAmerican people to hear is reality. And the reality's right here inthe form of the prime minister. And he is explaining what ishappening on the ground. That's the best report.

And this report was written in July. And now we are here inSeptember. And, as I said, "estimate" would have been a better word.

QUESTION: Sir, you've been accused on the campaign trail in thiselection year of painting an overly optimistic portrait of thesituation on the ground in Iraq.

Yesterday, in Valley Forge, you said that there was a handful ofpeople who were willing to kill to try to disrupt the process. Isn'tthat really understating the case, particularly when there areintelligence reports that hundreds, if not thousands of foreignfighters are streaming across the border from Syria to take up thefight of the insurgency?

And do you believe, given the situation on the ground andFallujah and other northern cities in the Sunni triangle, thatelections are possible in four months?

BUSH: I do, because the prime minister told me they are. He'sinterested in moving this country forward. And you heard hisstatement. And I believe him.

The first part of the question?

QUESTION: Are you painting...

BUSH: Yes, got it, got it. Yes, yes.

Yesterday -- right. I said -- look, what we're seeing on our TVscreens are the acts of suicide bombers.

BUSH: They're the people that are affecting the nightly news.And they know it's a fact.

I said that the enemy cannot defeat us militarily. What they cando is take acts of violence that try to discourage us and try todiscourage the prime minister and the people of Iraq.

Look, I'm fully aware we're fighting former Baathists and Zarqawinetwork people. But by far the vast majority of people, among 25million people, want to live in freedom. My point is, is that a fewpeople, relative to the whole, are trying to stop the march offreedom.

It is tough work. Everybody in America knows that. And thefundamental question is: Are we going to allow the tough work tocause us to retreat, to waver?

And my answer to the American people and the Iraqi people and tothe enemy is that we will complete our mission. We will do our duty.We will adjust strategies on the ground, depending upon the tactics ofthe enemy. But we're not going to allow the suiciders to drive us outof Iraq.

ALLAWI: May I please?

BUSH: Yes, please.

ALLAWI: Let me explain something which is very important. Ihave noticed in the media, it have been neglected and omitted severaltimes, in the Western media.

Iraq is made out of 18 provinces. Out of these 18 provinces, 14to 15 are completely safe; there are no problems. And I can countthem for you, starting from Basra, moving into Iraq Kurdistan.

There are three areas, three provinces where there are pockets ofinsurgents, pockets of terrorists who are acting there and are movingfrom there to inflict damage elsewhere in the country.

ALLAWI: So really few care to look at Iraq properly and go fromBasra to Nasiriyah to Kut (ph) to Diala to Najaf to Karbala to Diwinato Samawa (ph) to Kirkuk to Sulaymaniyah to Dahoo (ph) to Irbil thereare no problems. It's safe. It's good.

There are problems in Fallujah. Fallujah is part of a province,the province is called Al Anbar. It's vast, very big. It has manyother important towns, such as Anna (ph), such as Rawa (ph), such asRamadi. There's nothing there. In Anna (ph) and Rawa (ph) indeedthere is nothing, no problem, except on a small pocket in Fallujah.

So really, I call up on the responsible media throughout theworld, not only here, to look at the facts as they are in Iraq and topropagate these facts to the international community.

I am not trying to undermine that there are dangers. There aredangers in Iraq. There are problems and we are facing internationalterrorist onslaught on Iraq. I personally have received every day athreat. In the last four weeks, they found four conspiracies to killme. And likewise they are killing people. They are killingofficials. They are killing innocent people. But the Iraqis are notdeterred and we are not going to be deterred. I went the next day and saw a recruitment center for the policeafter they killed, massacred 40, 45 people. I found hundreds ofpeople coming to volunteer to the police and to the army.

ALLAWI: I had spoke to them. They are all upbeat. They areresolved to beat terrorism and to defeat the insurgents. These are facts that one really needs to explain it to you andyou need to explain it to the people.

QUESTION: I'd like to ask about the Iraqi people. Both of youhave spoken for them today, and yet over the past several months therehave been polls conducted by the Coalition Provisional Authority, bythe Oxford Institute and other reputable organizations, that havefound very strong majorities do not see the United States as aliberator but as an occupier, are unhappy with American policy andwant us out. Don't the real voices of the Iraqi people themselves contradictthe rosy scenarios you're painting here today?

BUSH: You said the poll was taken when the CPA was there?

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) BUSH: OK, let me stop you. First of all, the Iraqi people now have got Iraqi leadership.Prime Minister Allawi and his cabinet are making decisions on behalfof the Iraqi people. Secondly, I saw a poll that said the right track/wrong track inIraq was better than here in America. It was pretty darn strong. Imean, the people see a better future. Talk to the leader. I agree, I'm not the expert on how the Iraqipeople think, because I live in America where it's nice and safe andsecure. But I'd talk to this man. One reason I'm optimistic about ourability to get the job done is because I talk to the Iraqi primeminister. I'm also optimistic that people will choose freedom over tyrannyevery time, that's what I believe. But, Mr. Prime Minister, you might answer the question on thepolls. There's a lot of polls. Sometimes they show you up andsometimes they show you down, as you might remember.

ALLAWI: Let me take a minute to explain to you something, afactual event. I meet personally every now and then with the fringes of the so-called resistance to try and talk them into respecting law and orderand throw their arms.

ALLAWI: And I asked them, in a very honest and open way, I sayto them, "What do you want to achieve? Could we know exactly what youwant to achieve? Do you want to bring Saddam back from the hole inthe ground living like a rat? Do you want to bring him back to ruleIraq? Or do you want to bring bin Laden or similar persons to binLaden to rule Iraq?

"If you want to do this, we will fight you room to room, house to house. If you want to be part of the political process, you have to be part of the political process; you are welcome. If you do not want the multinational force in Iraq" -- I was talking to Fallujah people recently, to tribes, ex-army officers, ex-Saddam loyalists -- "If you want the multinational force out, win the elections, go to the United Nations, talk to the Security Council and tell them we don't need the multinational.

"But I tell you what is going to happen. If you ask the multinational force to leave prematurely" -- this is me talking to the Fallujah people -- "your country will be in ruins. And we cannot now on our feet stand and fight terrorism and global terrorism."

These are realities, and once you are in Iraq, I will be your host, I can put you together with these people in my home, and you can talk to them, and you can find out yourselves that the Iraqis remendously, by and large, respect the United States and respect the other partners in the coalition for helping Iraq, not only in liberation, but now in helping Iraq to rebuild itself and to rebuild its institutions.

BUSH: Let me say one other thing about why I'm optimistic we'll succeed. By the way, you can understand it's tough and still be optimistic.

BUSH: You can understand how hard it is, and believe we'll succeed. I remember when some were talking about the possibility of success in Afghanistan in pretty stark terms. I don't know if you remember that period or not, but there was a period where some were saying it's impossible for democracy to come forward in Afghanistan.

Today, 10 million citizens have registered to vote, 41 percent of whom are women. It's a phenomenal statistic, I think. I think it shows what's possible if you believe -- if you have certain beliefs from which you won't waver. And I believe I people yearn to be free. Again, I think if you look at polls -- which sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't admittedly -- that by far the vast majority of Iraqis want to vote. They want to live in freedom.

And the fundamental question is, do we have the will to stay? I mean, do we have the will to put a smart strategy in place? I've laid out the strategy. We're implementing the strategy. But really do we have the will to complete the mission? And my message to the Iraqi people and to the enemy and to our troops in harm's way and to our allies is, we'll complete the mission. Last question?

QUESTION: Mr. President, for the past couple of days you have been talking about the consequences of the mixed messages you say John Kerry sends. I want to ask you, sir, do you mean immediate consequences, not just if the senator is elected? Do you mean that the messages being said now have a negative effect on the effort in Iraq? And does making the war in Iraq a part of the campaign also have consequences on the situation there, sir?

BUSH: Well, I think -- look, in a campaign, the war of Iraq's going to be a part of a campaign. It is -- this is a major moment in American history. These are historic times and I view it as a great opportunity to help secure our country.

As I said before, Iraq is a central part of the war on terror. And I believe it's important for us to succeed there because of that. See 9/11 changed everything. September the 11th meant that we had to deal with a person like Saddam Hussein.

BUSH: Of course, I was hoping it could be done diplomatically. But diplomacy failed. And so the last resort of a president is to use force. And we did. And now we're helping the Iraqis. The prime minister said something very interesting a while ago and it's important for the American people to understand. Our strategy is to help the Iraqis help themselves. It's important that we train Iraqi troops. There are nearly 100,000 troops trained.

The Afghan national army is a part of the army. By the way, it's the Afghan national army that went into Najaf and did the work there. There's a regular army being trained, a border guard being trained, their police being trained. That's a key part of our mission. But I think the world watches America. We're an influential nation, and everybody watches what we say. And I think it's very important for the American president to mean what he says. That's why I understand that the enemy could misread what I say.

That's why I try to be as clearly as I can. I don't want them to be emboldened by any confusion or doubt. I don't want them to think that, well, maybe all they got to do is attack, and we'll shirk our duties.

See, they've been emboldened before. They have caused certain nations to withdraw from coalitions as a result of their action. Such action reinforcing the ability for suiciders, for example, to affect free societies. I know that. I've seen firsthand the tactics of these killers. And so therefore I think it's very important for all of us involved in the process not to send mixed signals. I don't know what the enemy thinks today, but I do know they're watching America very carefully. I do know they want to affect other nations by their acts of murder. I do know they were emboldened when Spain withdrew from Iraq as a result of attacks on election.And therefore, I have a duty, to our troops for starters, most importantly, not to send a mixed signal.

BUSH: I want our troops to know that the sacrifices they are making are worthwhile and necessary for the security of this country.

And I don't want the Iraqis to fear that, oh, all of a sudden there'll be a change of heart. That there'll be ough times politically or that you know, a poll might say something and therefore cause me to change my opinion.

I don't want them to think that because they have to make the hard choices for freedom. They have to go from a society that has been tortured by a brutal thug to a society in which they take responsibility for their daily lives. I don't want the coalition forces to feel like we were wavering. And so I understand that people watch our words and that's an explanation of why I say what I say. Listen, thank you all very much. Mr. Prime Minister, I appreciate your good job. I'm proud you're here.