Under Fire, Bush Defends Policies

(AP)  Under fire at home and abroad, President Bush defended his polices on Iraq and the war on terror and said Monday the Iraqi conflict will be won despite the efforts of "cold-hearted killers" to derail the U.S. policy.

"I think about Iraq every day. Every single day, because I understand we have troops in harm's way," the president said at a White House news conference. "We will complete the mission, and the world will be better off for it."

With more than 1,700 U.S. troops dead in Iraq, public opinion polls show that voters in the United States have grown uneasy with Mr. Bush's policies. Some in Congress are pushing for a date certain when troops would begin withdrawing.

Overseas, the U.S. image has been tarnished by allegations of prisoner abuse and disrespect for Islam in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where suspected terrorists are detained. Bush challenged critics, even invited journalists to the detention facilities.

"Look at all the facts. That's all I ask people to do," the president said at a news conference with European Union leaders. Mr. Bush noted that many of the suspects at Guantanamo are not traditional war prisoners.

"The fundamental question facing our government is what do you do with these people?" he said.

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