US President George W. Mr Bush defended Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's handling of the Iraq war today. He also conceded training Iraqi police and army to take over responsibility for the country's security from US troops has been difficult.
At an end-of-the-year news conference, Mr Mr Bush said Iraqi insurgent car bombings have been "effective propaganda tools" in their attempt to "shake the will" of Iraqis.
"No question about it, the bombers are having an effect," Mr Mr Bush said.
Although several Republican lawmakers have expressed doubts about Rumsfeld's performance, and many Democrats want him fired, Mr Bush rejected such criticism. "I believe he's doing a really fine job," Mr Bush said.
And even though Mr Rumsfeld did not sign condolence letters to the families of US troops killed in Iraq he is a decent man beneath a "rough and gruff" exterior.
Mr Bush is often accused of sugarcoating the Iraq situation, but the news conference he talked at length about the difficulties facing the country as it prepares for January 30th elections that insurgents are trying to derail.
"These people are targeting innocent Iraqis. They're trying to shake the will of the Iraqi people and, frankly, trying to shake the will of the American people. And car bombs that destroy young children or car bombs that indiscriminately bomb in religious sites are effective propaganda tools," he said.
Car bombers struck the Shi'ite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Sunday, killing 66 people.
Mr Bush said "life is better now than it was under Saddam Hussein" in the year since Saddam was captured but said "it's important for the American people to understand" that elections are only the start of a political process that will culminate with a constitutional government elected in a year.
Mr Bush acknowledged the top US goal of training Iraqi police and army has had mixed results. "There have been some cases where, when the heat got on, they left the battlefield. That's unacceptable," Mr Bush said.
He would not give a timetable on when US troops might be able to return home but said top US generals are "optimistic and positive about the gains we're making."
Mr Bush warned he might step up diplomatic and economic pressure on Syria for interfering in Iraq, which it denies. "We have tools at our disposal - a variety of tools, ranging from diplomatic tools to economic pressure. Nothing's taken off the table," he said.
Washington accuses Syria of letting insurgents cross its border into Iraq and harboring former Iraqi officials directing insurgents.
On relations with Russia, Mr Bush said he would not let policy differences undercut close relations with President Vladimir Putin despite the Russia's recent moves seen by critics as potentially damaging to democracy. They plan to meet in February. "As you know, Vladimir Putin and I have got a good personal relationship. ... I intend to keep it that way," Mr Bush said.
"Obviously we have some disagreements. ... But this is a vital and important relationship."
Mr Rumsfeld over the weekend was accused of being insensitive after admitting he did not personally sign his name on letters of condolence to families of more than 1,000 soldiers killed in Iraq but instead had them signed by auto-pen. He later said he would now sign them by hand.