US President George W. Bush pledged Wednesday that the United States will deal harshly with those who attack American forces in Iraq, and said such violence will not undercut his resolve to keep Americans there until stability is restored.
"Anybody who wants to harm American troops will be found and brought to justice," Bush said at an impromptu news conference at the White House. "There are some who feel like if they attack us, we may decide to leave prematurely. They don't understand what they're talking about if that's the case."
"There are some who feel like that, you know, the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is bring them on," Bush said. "We got the force necessary to deal with the security situation."
Bush said he would welcome assistance from other states willing to dispatch soldiers to help restore peace.
"Anybody who wants to help, we'll welcome," Bush said. "But we got plenty tough force there right now to make sure the situation is secure."
He also promised harsh justice for people who sabotage Iraqi infrastructure such as power lines.
"Those who blow up the electricity lines really aren't hurting America, they're hurting the Iraq citizens," Bush said. "Their own fellow citizens are being hurt. But we will deal with them harshly as well."
The president rejected a question about whether there was a gap between what intelligence and administration officials reported as the threat from Saddam Hussein, and the scant evidence found so far of an Iraqi weapons program.
"Saddam Hussein had a weapons program," Bush said, according to AP. "Remember he used them -- he used chemical weapons on his own people." (Albawaba.com)
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