Bush Defends Iraq Decision, Addresses WMD Intelligence

President Bush, calling himself educator in chief, today continued his campaign to convince Americans that the unpopular war in Iraq is justified, even though he said he was given faulty intelligence that weapons of mass destruction would be found in the country.

"Obviously, the intelligence broke down," Bush said in Wheeling, W. Va., speaking for a fifth straight day about the war that followed the U.S. overthrow of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. "But he had that capacity to make weapons of mass destruction, as well. He had not only murdered his own people, but he had used weapons of mass destruction on his own people. That's what we knew prior to the decision I made."

Bush told the often-cheering audience that included many military families that Hussein "also was firing at our aircraft. . . . He had taken shots at British and U.S. pilots. . . . This guy was a threat. . . . The world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power."

At a time when a growing majority of Americans believe the war is not worth the cost, both financially and in lives lost, Bush said Iraqi political figures need to speed up formation of a representative government that will unify the country.

Bush recounted a conversation by video conference this morning with Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, and Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the U.S. military commander in Iraq, about "the need to make it clear to the Iraqis it's time to get a government in place that can start leading this nation and listening to the will of the people."

Later, Bush called the war "the Iraqis' fight," saying Iraqis "are going to have to determine their future."

A Washington Post-ABC News poll this month found that two-thirds of Americans questioned whether the United States has a clear plan for the war in Iraq.

Bush said he won't pull out any of the 130,000 U.S. troops out of Iraq because polls show the war is unpopular among many Americans.

"I want to say something to you about troop levels, and I know that's something that people are talking about in Washington a lot," Bush said. "I am going to make up my mind based upon the advice of the United States military that's in Iraq. I'll be making up my mind about the troop levels based upon recommendations of those who are on the ground. I'm going to make up my mind based upon achieving a victory, not based upon polls, focus groups or election-year politics."

At a news conference yesterday, Bush suggested American presence in Iraq will continue for several years, saying future troop levels "will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq."

The war and its aftermath have killed more than 2,300 U.S. troops and at least 30,000 Iraqis.

Bush, in his speech today at the Capitol Music Hall in Wheeling, also said he was troubled that an Afghan man could face the death penalty in Afghanistan for converting from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago. Abdul Rahman has been charged with rejecting Islam, a crime under Afghanistan's Islamic laws, although an Afghan official and diplomatic sources indicated today that it seems unlikely he will be tried or executed.

Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan's foreign minister, said in an interview with The Washington Post in Washington today that the Afghan Embassy here had received hundreds of letters, e-mails and calls from people protesting the prosecution of Rahman and inquiries from officials in NATO countries. (See related story about Abdullah's comments .)

"We expect them to honor the universal principle of freedom," Bush said of the government of President Hamid Karzai, who was elected after the United States ousted the Taliban regime.

"I'm troubled when I hear, deeply troubled when I hear, the fact that a person who converted away from Islam may be held to account," Bush said. " . . . I look forward to working with the government of that country to make sure that people are protected in their capacity to worship."

Bush praised the U.S. effort in Afghanistan. "We removed the Taliban from power, we've denied al Qaeda safe haven and that young country, that young democracy is now beginning to grow," he said. "Twenty-five million people are liberated as a result of the United States defending itself."

Washington Post Staff writer Pamela Constable contributed to this report .