Bush Calls Iraq 'Long-Term Undertaking' in Mideast

Reuters ^ | 9 August 2003 | Patricia Wilson

[demlosers]

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush on Saturday vowed a "long-term undertaking" to bring democracy and economic prosperity to Iraq and across the Middle East.

In his weekly radio address, broadcast amid renewed violence in Iraq and marking 100 days since he announced major combat operations over, Bush offered an upbeat assessment.

Despite almost daily attacks on U.S. troops in which 55 have been killed, Bush said Iraq was more secure with 6,000 Iraqi police patrolling Baghdad and about 20,000 more on duty in other towns.

The U.S. military and its allies had made "steady progress," he asserted. "We're keeping our word to the Iraqi people by helping them to make their country an example of democracy and prosperity throughout the region."

But, he added, "One hundred days is not enough time to undo the terrible legacy of Saddam Hussein. There is difficult and dangerous work ahead that requires time and patience."

British troops clashed with stone-throwing Iraqi rioters on Saturday in some of the most widespread violence seen in the Shi'ite Muslim south since the fall of Baghdad on April 9.

Anger over fuel and power shortages erupted onto the streets of Basra in a blaze of burning cars and tires. In Baghdad, meanwhile, FBI investigators visited the damaged Jordanian Embassy, where a truck bomb this week killed 17 people, and another hitherto unknown group called for guerrilla attacks on the occupiers in a videotape shown on a pan-Arab television channel.

A 24-page report released by the White House, "Results in Iraq: 100 Days Toward Security and Freedom," said most of Iraq was calm and "only in isolated areas are there still attacks."

Washington is spending $4 billion a month to establish security and a new government in Iraq and Bush held out hope the ambitious nation-building effort there could serve as an example for the rest of the region.

"This long-term undertaking is vital to peace in that region and to the security of the United States," he said.

A senior U.S. official said the U.S.-led invasion to oust Saddam was part of Bush's "larger vision" for "a different kind of Middle East" years from now.

"We went to war in Iraq because Saddam Hussein's regime was a threat," the official said. "It was also a threat to a more hopeful Middle East."

Saddam's overthrow, coupled with progress on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and economic growth in the region meant "we could be looking at a different Middle East in a few years," the official said.

Arab nations and even U.S. allies have been skeptical of Bush's commitment to the Middle East. Bush called for a Palestinian state by 2005 over a year ago, but only personally plunged into diplomacy in June when he held summits with the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers as well as other Arab leaders.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

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