Bush pushes Iraqi rebuilding

2003-10-07 12:14

Washington - The White House, facing setbacks and growing casualties in Iraq, is asserting a larger role in overseeing reconstruction efforts and the tens of billions of dollars being spent by the United States.

The move is intended to "cut through some of the bureaucracy and the red tape" in Washington and accelerate the work in Iraq, said presidential spokesperson Scott McClellan on Monday.

A classified memo distributed last week established the Iraq Stabilisation Group within the White House under Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser to President George W Bush.

Officials said creation of the group would give Rice authority to spur the bureaucracy and put more accountability in the White House.

"Condi's job, and Condi's team is going to make sure the efforts are continued to be co-ordinated so that we continue to make progress," Bush said at a news conference with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki.

"And listen, we're making good progress in Iraq," said the president. "Sometimes, it's hard to tell it when you listen to the filter (of critics). We're making good progress."

However, many Democrats and some Republicans say the administration underestimated the postwar violence and impediments to rebuilding.

Bush wants $87bn for reconstruction

"Almost two years after the fall of the Taliban and nearly six months after the fall of Baghdad, the White House is finally organising itself to deal with the realities of postwar Afghanistan and Iraq," said senator John Edwards, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"It's about time President Bush tried to get his bureaucracy in order, but rearranging flow charts is no substitute for leadership."

The creation of the national security council's stabilisation group comes as congress debates Bush's request for $87bn for reconstruction and military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We're going to have a lot more resources when that passes," said McClellan.

"We want to, here in Washington, help the Pentagon and the coalition provisional authority to put those resources to the best possible use."

The memo gives national security council teams direct oversight in four areas: counter-terrorism, economic issues, political issues and the media.

The Pentagon and coalition provisional authority will continue to play the lead role, but the order gives the White House a strong oversight responsibility, officials said.

The new step comes as polls show that doubts are growing about Bush's ability to deal with international crises.

A CBS-New York Times poll last week found that 45% said they had confidence in Bush's ability on international crises and 50% said they do not.

McClellan said creation of the group was not an indication of dissatisfaction with the progress of Iraq's reconstruction.

- AP