Bush Urges Patience On Iraq

President Bush called on Iraqis Monday to embrace compromise as they negotiate a new unity government and asked Americans to show patience amid "images of violence and anger and despair."

"The situation in Iraq is still tense," Mr. Bush said in an address at George Washington University, the first in a series of speeches aimed at building support for U.S. goals in Iraq as the third anniversary of the American-led invasion approaches.

The Feb. 22 bombing of a Shiite mosque in Iraq led to the deaths of hundreds in reprisal attacks. But though many fear the country may still be on the brink of civil war among rival Muslim sects, Mr. Bush said he was confident that would not happen.

"The Iraqi people made their choice. They looked into the abyss and did not like what they saw," he said. "By their response over the last two weeks, Iraqis have shown the world they want a future of freedom and peace and they will oppose a violent minority."

Mr. Bush said that forming a new permanent government that represents all factions in Iraq is a key — though difficult — next step. Talks are under way to put together Iraq's first permanent, post-invasion government with participation by Sunni Arabs, Shiite Muslims and Kurds.

"Forming a government will demand negotiation and compromise by the Iraqis; it will require patience on the part of America and her allies," he said.

But many Americans have already lost patience. They cite Iraq as the most important problem facing the United States, and they are not optimistic, CBS News correspondent Claudia Coffey reports.

The latest CBS News poll shows just 15 percent think the U.S. is very likely to succeed in Iraq, down from 21 percent in January. Another 36 percent say success is somewhat likely, down from 42 percent just two months ago. Forty-seven percent say it is either not very or not likely at all that the U.S. will achieve success.

As Mr. Bush spoke, it was another bloody day in Iraq. Bomb blasts from Baghdad to Kirkuk to Tikrit killed at least 10 people Monday, including a U.S. soldier killed in a roadside bombing. And a series of attacks over the weekend killed nearly 60 people and injured hundreds.

Mr. Bush chose to focus in his opening speech on Iraqi security forces. He said that even though they need more training, they "turned in a strong performance" in the wake of the mosque bombing — which the president said was intended by insurgents to provoke a civil war.

"From the outset, Iraqi forces understood that if they failed to stand for national unity, the country would slip into anarchy," Mr. Bush said. "And so they stood their ground and defended their democracy."

He acknowledged, however, that not all Iraqi forces performed as well as others, and said there were reports that some forces in eastern Iraq had let insurgents pass by unimpeded.