Bush changes tone, not course, on Iraq

WASHINGTON — Thirty-two months after U.S. forces invaded Iraq, President Bush's advisers concluded that his message of "stay the course" has been translated by a weary American public as "stay forever." So he tried Wednesday to reassure the nation that he has a comprehensive vision for beating the insurgency and eventually bringing U.S. troops home.

The message wasn't subtle as the White House posted a 35-page "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq" on its Web site and hung dozens of "Plan for Victory" signs behind Bush as he addressed midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. But it was intended to reshape the argument against critics who have been gaining traction with congressional calls to withdraw troops immediately or at least set a timetable.

Instead of sticking to general statements of resolve as in the past, Bush offered examples of what he called progress in building an Iraqi army that can take over the fight. And in a rare move for a president loath to admit mistakes, he admitted some without using the word, granting that "we've faced some setbacks" and that "we learned from our early experiences."

Broadly, though, Bush gave no ground to critics who want a major course change, and the plan he released Wednesday offered nothing new substantively. Short of changing conditions on the ground, Bush faces huge challenges in turning around public attitudes on the war. The public has grown increasingly sour on Iraq in polls, and most of those surveyed no longer approve of the way Bush is handling the war.

"That's the trick for the president: He has to turn around public opinion when he's at a low point in the polls," said John Weaver, a consultant. "What they've got to do is win this argument and correct the misinformation that's out there about what's going on in Iraq and do so while leveling with the American people that it's going to be a long, hard slog."

The latest speech won Bush few converts in Washington, with opposition leaders rushing out critiques. "The president was basically repackaging things and saying everything's fine when every day we read that things are not fine," said former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. "I so wish I could believe him. I like to believe an American president. But he's got such a credibility issue."

Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, offered a more measured response, calling Bush's remarks a "positive step" if not yet enough. "The president did a better job laying out where we are and where we're trying to go in Iraq but failed to tell us how or when we're going to get there."

The debate in Washington has evolved quickly in the past few weeks after the U.S. military death toll topped 2,000. Congress engaged in its most robust debates on the war. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney launched sharp counterattacks on critics, accusing them of demoralizing troops and wanting to "surrender to terrorists."

Bush intends a sustained defense of his Iraq policy leading up to Dec. 15 parliamentary elections, continuing with at least two and perhaps three more speeches. He dropped the acrid rhetoric Wednesday and professed that "we should not fear the debate in Washington. It's one of the great strengths of our democracy that we can discuss our differences openly and honestly even at times of war."

He summoned a leading Democrat to his defense, citing an op-ed article opposing timetables for withdrawal written by Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., who ran for vice president on the ticket opposing Bush in 2000. In doing so, the White House hoped to turn the tables on Democrats. "What it does is highlight a split within the Democratic Party," a senior official said.

Privately, though, administration officials acknowledge they have failed to communicate their message to the public. "We haven't put it out there in a fashion that has sunk in," said a second official who was not authorized to speak on the record. Advisers were struck by polls showing a sizable share of the public did not think Bush had a plan for victory in Iraq. "There's a sense that the public does not have a good understanding of what our strategy is and is confused about the level of progress we've made."

Amid such skepticism, Bush has retreated to mainly military settings to defend his war policy. Wednesday's speech was his fourth before a military audience in three weeks. But he and the administration are adjusting the message to reflect realities.

No longer are officials declaring the insurgency is in its "last throes," as Cheney did last spring. Instead, they emphasize in their new strategy that "it is not realistic to expect a fully functioning democracy, able to defeat its enemies" to be built in three years. Bush also acknowledged what military and intelligence experts have said for months, that terrorists make up the smallest group opposing coalition forces and that "ordinary Iraqis, mostly Sunni Arabs" represent "by far the largest group."

W. Patrick Lang, a former Defense Intelligence Agency expert on Iraqi affairs, said Bush's language "changes the frame of reference" because the president acknowledged "for the first time this is essentially an Iraqi insurrection." Now, Lang said, U.S. military officers have room to try to work out deals with Iraqi opposition fighters.

Reporters Robin Wright and Walter Pincus contributed to this report.