WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (AFP) - As President George W. Bush unveils his domestic and foreign agenda in his State of the Union speech later this week, the annual address also looks likely to give him a chance to take a bow after Sunday's elections in Iraq.
Bush plowed ahead with the January 30 elections to Iraq's national assembly despite calls from supporters and detractors alike to postpone balloting because of rampant violence by a persistent insurgency that has wracked the country for months.
Though the results of the vote for a national assembly will not be known for weeks, poll watchers reported of a high turnout throughout most of Iraq Sunday, despite attacks that killed at least 37 people.
In remarks Sunday after the balloting, the US president praised the courage of Iraqis in venturing out to the polls despite attacks.
"In great numbers and under great risk, Iraqis have shown their commitment to democracy. By participating in free elections, the Iraqi people have firmly rejected the anti-democratic ideology of the terrorists. They have refused to be intimidated by thugs and assassins," the US president said.
"The Iraqi people themselves made this election a resounding success," Bush said Sunday.
"Across Iraq today, men and women have taken rightful control of their country's destiny, and they have chosen a future of freedom and peace."
The president's annual speech before the US Congress is his opportunity to outline the priorities for the first year of his second term.
Bush already has indicated that he has an ambitious second term agenda planned including overhaul of the national Social Security pension scheme, after a first term dominated by foreign policy concerns including the war with Iraq and fighting terrorism.
He also hopes to revamp the US tax code, rein in rampant lawsuits, and make changes in US immigration laws.
But Iraq was likely to continue to be a front-burner agenda item, beginning with the president's formal request to the Congress in just a few weeks' time for another 80 billion dollars to fund US military efforts in Iraq.
Bush spoke by phone Monday with Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and President Ghazi al-Yawar, and all three leaders agreed that Sunday's vote was "a great success," and a blow against terrorism, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said at a press briefing.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder also spoke to Bush following the election, all agreeing that the vote was "a significant step forward" for Iraq and a blow to terrorists, said McClellan.
"The president expressed his appreciation for the strong statements in support the democratic process now advancing in Iraq. All agreed that the election is a victory for the Iraqi people," he told reporters.
"The president believes it is important to maintain this momentum by continuing to support, among other things, the new Iraqi government once it's in place, and the building of institutions," said McClellan.
Applause and accolades for Sunday's successful balloting may seem unfamiliar to an administration used to being under fire for its Iraq policy.
The White House has endured harsh criticism for months for its handling of the continuing insurgency in Iraq in the nearly two years following the war to oust former President Saddam Hussein.
Some Democrats say Bush's credibility was tainted by pushing for war in Iraq based on weapons of mass destruction that were never found, while others blame the administration for failing improve the quality of life for Iraqis by providing more reliable electricity or shortening the long gasoline lines in the oil-rich nation.
01/31/2005 19:01 GMT - AFP