CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 8 -- President Bush today began building a broad, new case that progress is being made in postwar Iraq despite the steady casualties besetting U.S. troops. But he refused to estimate how long the reconstruction of Iraq might take, or how much it might cost in lives or dollars.
Bush spoke with reporters on the 100th day since he stood beneath a "Mission Accomplished" banner on an aircraft carrier and declared that major combat operations were complete. Since then, 119 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq, and lawmakers in both parties have begun accusing the administration of inadequate planning and incomplete disclosure.
Citing a milestone generally associated with a new presidency, the White House issued a 24-page report called "Results in Iraq: 100 Days Toward Security and Freedom," which claims to catalogue "highlights of the successes" in Iraq.
"We've made a lot of progress in a hundred days, and I am pleased with the progress we've made, but fully recognize we've got a lot more work to do," Bush told reporters outside his ranch house. "This administration will do what is necessary to win the war on terror."
Today's publication and presidential comments marked a more concerted administration effort to counter the stream of troubling news from Iraq and the resulting criticisms from Democrats. Bush did not commit to supplying Congress the detailed information that committees have requested, sometimes in exasperated tones. He hit back at Democrats who have asserted he misled the public about his justification for war.
"Pure politics," Bush said, repeating the phrase three times. "As far as all this political noise, it's going to get worse as time goes on, and I fully understand that, and that's just the nature of democracy."
Asked to approximate the cost of Iraq stabilization for the next fiscal year, Bush said, "We generally don't do our estimates on the back of an envelope." He said planners will bring "good, sound data" to Congress "at the appropriate time."
The president answered questions for 18 minutes after holding an annual ranch meeting with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld for the stated purpose of reviewing efforts to transform the military into a lighter, more mobile force. The two also discussed whether to increase the number of U.S. troops in Liberia. They were joined by Vice President Cheney; the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers; and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.
Bush would not say whether he agreed with the assessment of the commander of U.S. ground forces in Iraq, Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who said Thursday that U.S. forces will remain in Iraq for two years at an "absolute minimum" and probably longer. "However necessary is how long it will take," the president said.
The administration's emphasis on the justification for the war in Iraq has evolved, and Bush today said the engagement there was aimed at preventing another attack like those on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in 2001. "I will not forget the lessons of September the 11th," he said.
Bush did not directly address a question about what he could tell the nation about how many more soldiers might die in Iraq, but he said Americans "suffer when we lose life," and that the country "grieves with those who sacrifice."
The report cites 90 ways the administration believes Iraq is better since the demise of Saddam Hussein's government. "Only in isolated areas are there still attacks," the report says. The document adds that "health care, previously available only for Baathist [political party] elite, is now available to all Iraqis." Twice it notes that 150 newspapers are being published in Iraq: under sections titled "10 Signs of Democracy" and "10 Signs of Cultural Rebirth."
The report does not mention the almost daily attacks on U.S. forces, or the kidnappings and carjackings that terrify many Baghdad residents. It does not mention Iraq's high unemployment or widespread lack of electricity. No documentation for the claims is included. Officials said the unsigned report was prepared by the White House Office of Global Communications and the staff of L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq.
Several Democratic presidential candidates described the publication as a sign of White House denial about the situation in Iraq. Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) said the administration "should be changing course instead of celebrating."
Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) said that the "best way to win the peace, not just make progress, is to replace Americans with a broad array of troops that take the target off of American soldiers and eliminate the sense of American occupation." He said the White House has not done so because of "false pride."
Bush said the administration is trying to line up additional occupation partners. One reason the budget picture is unclear, he said, is that "one of the key variables is how much money we can get other nations to contribute to the reconstruction efforts of Iraq, or how many other nations are willing to contribute forces." The booklet says 19 countries are providing more than 13,000 troops in Iraq, and "more than 45 countries have offered military forces." No list is included.
Turning to a stumbling block for progress in the Middle East, Bush reiterated his concern that a security fence Israel is building would make it harder to eventually create an independent Palestinian state. "I've said the fence is a problem because the fence is, you know -- kind of meanders around the West Bank, which makes it awfully hard to develop a contiguous state over time," he said. "The Israelis are willing to work with us."
Correspondent Rajiv Chandrasekaran in Baghdad contributed to this report.
