WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (AFP) - Facing the deadliest day for American forces since the invasion of Iraq 22 months ago, President George W. Bush acknowledged Wednesday that heavy US military casualties there were depressing his people.
"The story today is going to be very discouraging to the American people. I understand that. We value life. We weep and mourn when soldiers lose their life," Bush said at his first news conference of the year.
He spoke as reports from Baghdad indicated that more than 30 US troops were killed Wednesday in a helicopter crash and four more died in attacks, the biggest single loss of American life in the insurgency-wracked nation since the 2003 invasion.
More than 1,370 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the March 2003 US-led invasion that ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, according to Pentagon figures released earlier this month.
Bush said that despite the high number of US troops dying in battle, the United States could not run away from its long-term aim of spreading freedom.
"But it is the long-term objective that is vital, and that is to spread freedom," Bush emphasized.
If not for the sacrifices of the American troops, he said, "the Middle East will continue to be a caldron of resentment, hate, (a) recruiting ground for those who have this vision of the world that is the exact opposite of ours."
Responding to a remark that Americans were becoming increasingly concerned by the immense US human and financial resources being poured into Iraq, Bush said: "It is the decision which we make today that can affect how people live 30, 40 or 50 years from now."
Bush defended the Iraqi mission, saying the United States was "making progress" in helping that country develop democracy.
"In the long term, our children and grandchildren will benefit from a free Iraq," he said.
Bush also stressed that American troop levels in Iraq would be maintained until the local military was capable of defending their insurgency-wracked nation.
"In terms of troop levels, obviously we're going to have a troop level necessary to complete the mission, and that mission is to enable Iraq to defend itself from terrorists -- homegrown or terrorists that come in from outside the country," Bush said.
He said it was necessary to establish "a good chain of command, from top to bottom," within the Iraqi military.
Plans are underway to expand the number of US military advisers to Iraqi soldiers by the thousands in the rush to accelerate the training of local troops, which has been identified as America's best exit strategy from Iraq.
Prime Minister Iyad Allawi warned Tuesday that it would be reckless to set a timeline for a final US troop pullout and said the troops would leave only when Iraqi forces are ready to defeat the insurgency on their own.
Allawi, who has made a strong security force the cornerstone of his rule, has said he wants to build up the current 65,000-strong army to more than 150,000 soldiers.
01/26/2005 17:09 GMT - AFP