ARAB-US RELATIONS - Nov 30 - Bush Hits Back At His Critics Over Iraq War.

In an emotional address to the US Naval Academy to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Bush gives the most detailed and authoritative account of his Iraq strategy in an effort to turn round his domestic fortunes, sapped by mounting criticism of the war. The US president cited progress in building up Iraqi security forces that would allow US troops to shift from nationwide operations to more targeted strikes against "the most dangerous terrorists". But he once more rejected as "sincerely wrong" calls for a withdrawal timetable. Bush said: We will increasingly move out of Iraqi cities, reduce the number of bases from which we operate and conduct fewer patrols and convoys". Seeking to strike a realistic rather than optimistic note, the president focused on operational specifics rather than the kind of broad-brush assessment of the war's aims and progress that has characterised previous speeches. "The training of the Iraqi troops is an enormous task and it hasn't always gone smoothly", he said. "We faced some setbacks in standing up a capable Iraqi security force and their performance is still uneven in some areas. Yet many of those forces have made real gains over the past year". The speech formed part of a sustained counter-attack by a White House at pains to dispel any impression that Bush has lost control of the debate at home and events in Iraq. His comments were accompanied by a 35-page unclassified version of the administration's strategy from the National Security Council. Success in Iraq is vital to reviving Bush's domestic fortunes. Long seen as a divisive president, he is now losing moderate Republican support. Approval from this group has fallen by 24 points since August, to 61%. Those who strongly approve halved to 30%, in a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll. Most Americans now see the war as a mistake, with 52% agreeing the US should withdraw immediately or within a year, according to a CNN/Gallup poll. The conflict has claimed the lives of over 2,100 US troops and left nearly 16,000 wounded. Bush said the US had handed over 90 square miles of Baghdad to Iraqi security forces, and 129 Iraqi army and police combat battalions were now fighting terrorists. Of these, 80 were fighting alongside coalition forces and 30 army battalions now had responsible for security in some areas. He pointed to progress in transferring bases to Iraq's government and the creation of six police academies producing 3,500 officers every 10 weeks. The president, at times almost tearful, said that as Iraqi forces gained experience, the US would be able to decrease troop levels "without losing our capability to defeat the terrorists". But the White House stepped back from its personal attacks on critics. Harry Reid, Democratic Senate minority leader, said: A bipartisan majority registered a vote of no-confidence in the president's policy", and called for the release of a strategy for success. He added: Today, President Bush failed to meet this call".