LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Sept 14 (AFP) - President George W. Bush on Tuesday praised the part-time soldiers of the National Guard, thousands of whom are in Iraq, while steering clear of controversy over his own service 30 years ago.
Bush spent much of his remarks to the organization`s convention attacking his Democratic rival for the White House, Senator John Kerry, as fickle on key national security issues including the war to oust Saddam Hussein.
"What`s critical is that the president of the United States speak clearly and consistently at this time of great threat in our world, and not change positions because of expediency or pressure," he said.
Bush twice told the cheering crowd that US military action, including the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, was taking out terrorists who would otherwise carry out attacks on targets inside the United States.
"You are fighting terrorist enemies in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the globe, so we do not have to face them here at home," he said in a speech to the organization`s annual convention. "America is safer because of your service."
"We will strike the terrorists abroad, so they can`t come here and hurt us," he said later.
Opposition Democrats have criticized such comments in the past, saying that the war in Iraq was a costly distraction from the war on terrorism and that it has actually helped terrorist recruitment efforts.
In Toledo, Ohio, Kerry said "today, we heard more of the same distortions from the president about the situation in Iraq. George W. Bush keeps saying that things are getting better even when we all know thats just not true. The fact is, no matter what he says, all of us can see for ourselves whats happening in Iraq. We can see it on the front pages and on the nightly news. But why would we expect George Bush to level with us about Iraq? He never has.
"Things are getting worse. More than a thousand Americans have been killed. Instability is rising. Violence is spreading. Extremism is growing. There are now havens for terrorists that werent there before. And the Pentagon has even admitted that entire regions of Iraq are now controlled by insurgents and terrorists.
"The situation is serious, and we need a president who will set a new direction and be straight with the American people."
As of August 1, 47,636 members of the guard and the military reserve were serving in Iraq, where about 175 guard members have been killed since the March 2003 invasion, according to US officials.
Thousands more have served in support of US operations in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
Bush made only a passing mention of his time in the Texas Air National Guard, saying he was "proud to be one" of the 19 former guard members who went on to be president.
Media studies of the future president`s records -- which the White House has only grudgingly released -- found that Bush fell short of fulfilling his obligations and that senior aides misrepresented his service.
The White House has countered any and all suggestions that Bush missed drills or otherwise ducked assignments by pointing to his honorable discharge from the guard in 1973.