Wednesday, June 14, 2006; Posted: 9:11 AM(CDT)
Updated: 10:28 AM(CDT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said Wednesday domestic politics and dipping opinion polls will have no effect on his plan for a stable and democratic Iraq.
"One message I will continue to send to the enemy is, 'Don't count on us leaving before the mission is complete,' " Bush said at a White House news conference.
"Don't bet on American politics forcing my hand, because it's not going to happen," he said. "I'm going make decisions not based upon politics but based upon what's best for the United States of America."
The president said securing a democratic Iraq was a linchpin in the worldwide war on terror.
Bush said he was energized by a surprise trip to Baghdad on Tuesday and inspired after a face-to-face meeting with the country's prime minister.
Speaking of the new Iraqi government, the president said he was "impressed with their desire to succeed."
He said the United States would "keep its word" to help Iraq "govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself" and "build a lasting democracy in the Middle East."
Bush praised new Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for his efforts on uniting Iraq's diverse religious and ethnic groups, divisions among which have led to sectarian attacks that have left thousands dead.
"People know they've got to reconcile the past in order to have a bright future," the president said. He said Washington will try to get Iraqi leaders together with "leaders from countries like South Africa to share their experiences with this new government to help them reconcile the past."
Bush also said Wednesday the Iraqi government must "root out corruption at all levels."
He said the United States would encourage governments to "pay up" on pledges of aid made to Iraq, which he said are now $3 billion, about $10 billion short. He said he would send Deputy Treasury Secretary Bob Kimmitt and State Department counselor Phil Zelikow to the United Nations and around the world to secure financial support.
Bush's first trip to Iraq since November 2003 -- and his first to leave the security of Baghdad's airport -- came after al-Maliki finalized his Cabinet and terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed.
U.S. opinion polls suggest support for the war is continuing to decline, and some Democrats are increasing pressure to withdraw the troops. In response, the White House in recent months has taken a more measured tone when talking about the war, staying away from exuberant claims while emphasizing that steady progress is being made despite the violence.
Bush pledged full U.S. support so Iraqis can take increasing responsibility for their own security, a point presidential counselor Dan Bartlett echoed Wednesday morning.
"What we have to do, not only the coalition, but the Iraqi people, and Iraqi government and the neighborhood, is to rally behind this new unity government and do everything we can to make sure they succeed," Bartlett said on CNN's "American Morning."
The president's trip "drove home the fact that we're there to make sure they succeed," Bartlett said.
At Wednesday's news conference, Bush said the Iraq trip was exciting, and it was "an unbelievable feeling" as he watched in the cockpit of Air Force One as the 747 descended into Baghdad, which he acknowledged was still "a dangerous place."
On other subjects, Bush said he'd like to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying its existence "provides an excuse" for criticism that the United States doesn't uphold American values it espouses to the world.
But he said security must be ensured before detainees are released.
"Sometimes we get criticized for sending some people out of Guantanamo back to their home country because of the nature of the home countries; [it's] a little bit of a Catch-22," he said.
