WASHINGTON -- Under the pressure of increasing U.S. deaths in battle, President Bush said Thursday the United States wants Iraqis to take more responsibility for governing their troubled country and said coalition forces are determined to prevail over terrorists.\nBush said he was sending L. Paul Bremer, the top U.S. administrator in Baghdad, back to the country to work with Iraqis on developing a plan to speed up establishment of an Iraqi government.\nHe said Bremer, in two days of urgent talks at the White House, reported that the Iraqis want to be more involved. "That's a positive development. That's what we want. We want the Iraqis to be more involved in the governance of their country."\nBush spoke in the Oval Office where he held an early-morning event to complain that Senate Democrats were stalling his nominations for federal judgeships. He accused the Democrats of "ugly politics."\nThe president did not discuss governing options for Iraq although aides have talked about establishing an interim government before a new constitution is written, a significant change from the current strategy.\nBush also expressed resolve to curb the violence which has killed 396 U.S. soldiers.\n"We're going to prevail," the president said. "We've got a good strategy to deal with these killers."\n"The goal of the terrorists ... is to create terror and fear among average Iraqis ... create the conditions where people are just so fearful for their lives that they cannot think positively about freedom. That's their goal," he said.\n"Our goal, of course, is to continue to work with those Iraqi citizens who understand that freedom is a precious commodity, those who understand that there is a hopeful life possible in a part of the world where a lot of hope has diminished in the past.\n"And that's the struggle ... and we're going to prevail," Bush vowed.\nWith casualties mounting, shrinking support from the American public, a troubling intelligence report and a stony silence from nations that have been asked for more peacekeeping troops, Bush wants to shorten the U.S. occupation.\nThat involves accelerating efforts by Iraqis to take charge of security, write a constitution, hold elections and assume control over government institutions.\n"We're looking at all sorts of ideas and we do want to accelerate the pace of reform," Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters.\nBritish Foreign Secretary Jack Straw visited the White House Thursday to talk with Vice President Dick Cheney about Iraq. "Overall the situation in Iraq -- notwithstanding the very difficult security position in some areas -- is getting better for the vast majority of Iraqi people," he told reporters after his meeting.
He said the United States and Britain recognize the need to improve security and to take steps "to ensure that as soon as possible, as soon as possible, Iraq becomes governed by the Iraqis themselves."\nThe administration does not intend to abandon the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, officials said, but was exploring new scenarios. One option called for creating a smaller body within the 24-member council -- perhaps 10 people with expanded roles -- or establishing one person as a strong leader of the council, a senior administration official said Wednesday.\nAnother administration official said an interim Iraqi leader could have authority to govern the country until a constitution was written and elections held.\nFor months, the Bush administration has been saying Iraq must first have a constitution in place and hold elections before the United States would relinquish sovereignty.\nIn Baghdad, there was disagreement among governing council members about whether to push for an interim government with more power before a constitution is written.\nThe administration refused to discuss publicly what was under consideration, saying the Iraqi council had to be consulted first. U.S. officials said decisions would not be imposed by the United States, but would be agreed upon with the council.\nThe top U.S. administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, who was called to Washington for a quickly-arranged visit with Bush and other top administration officials, was taking back to Baghdad several scenarios for discussion, an official said. Some of the ideas that were reviewed by Bush originated from the council itself while others were suggested by Bremer to the council, the official said.\nBremer said he would tell the council that "we need to pull this all together and integrate it into a plan going forward," and that Bush was steadfast in his determination to defeat terrorism and to give Iraqis authority over their own country.\nThe U.S.-appointed council faces a Dec. 15 U.N. deadline for producing a new constitution and holding elections. Privately, administration officials have complained that the council was not making enough progress toward that goal.
