CORAL GABLES, Florida, Sept 30 (AFP) - Democratic challenger John Kerry held back Thursday from calling President George W. Bush a liar about Iraq but he said Bush "had not been candid with the American people."
Kerry told a presidential debate that Bush had misled the US people over the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the justification for the invasion of Iraq.
Debate moderator Jim Lehrer said to Kerry that he had repeatedly accused Bush of not telling the truth about Iraq "essentially of lying to the American people about Iraq."
Kerry responded: "I have never, ever used the harshest word as you just did. I try not to. I'll nevertheless tell you I think he's not been candid with the American people."
He highlighted a State of the Union address last year in which the Republican president highlighted alleged nuclear materials in Iraq that have been found not to exist.
"We know that he promised America that he was going to build this coalition," said Kerry.
"It is not the kind of coalition we were described when we were talking about voting for this.
"The president said he would exhaust the remedies of the United Nations and go through that full process. He didn't. He cut it off, sort of arbitrarily" when further diplomatic efforts were underway.
"He misled the American people when he said we would go to war as a last resort."
Kerry said the Iraq war "has cost us deeply in the world.
"I believe that it is important to tell the truth to the American people."
The Massachussets senator said the United States needs a "fresh start, new credibility" to rebuild its reputation with Muslims and other nations.
Bush retorted by highlighting Kerry's differing stances on Iraqi issues.
"As the politics change, his positions change. That's not how a commander-in-chief acts," said Bush.
"The only thing consistent about my opponent's position is that he's been inconsistent. He changes positions. And you cannot change positions in this war on terror if you expect to win. And I expect to win."