Bush watchful in 2008
2007-12-21 07:54
Washington - US President George W Bush, looking to his final full year in office, sought on Thursday to ease deep concern about Iraq, admitted worries about Afghanistan, and vowed to watch Russia closely in 2008.
The US president, holding what was expected to be his final press conference of 2007, also broadly shrugged off anger at harsh CIA treatment of terrorism suspects, saying "most people love what America stands for".
Bush, who leaves office in January 2009, openly questioned whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would let anointed successor Dmitry Medvedev truly hold the reins, and bluntly doubted Moscow's commitment to democratic reforms.
Bush called Putin, who is widely expected to become prime minister, "a consequential leader. And the fundamental question is: consequential to what end? You know, what will the country look like 10 years from now?"
"My hope, of course, is that Russia is a country which understands there needs to be checks and balances, and free and fair elections, and a vibrant press; that they understand Western values based upon human rights and human dignity are values that will lead to a better country," he said.
Bush said he was taking a "wait and see" approach to whether Putin becomes prime minister but stressed he would closely watch to what degree he shapes "how the Russian president carries on his business, the new Russian president".
US officials have said privately that Bush, eager to keep Moscow behind efforts to corral Iran over its nuclear programmes, sometimes mutes his public concerns about Putin's slide away from democratic rule.
Progress in Iraq, Afghanistan
With the unpopular war in Iraq and the uncertain conflict in Afghanistan expected to shape the November 2008 US elections, Bush offered cautious optimism but said leaders in both countries must show they are making progress.
"The questions I ask on Iraq and Afghanistan: Is there progress? Are people feeling better about life?" he said. "And I believe we're making progress on both fronts."
Bush acknowledged that his year-long military "surge" in Iraq had not yielded the national political reconciliation it was designed to foster but said the strife-torn country had "a functioning government".
"I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't, as a government, continue to press them," he said. "Are we satisfied with the progress in Baghdad? No. But to say nothing's happening is just simply not the case."
Bush was more downbeat about Afghanistan, where 2007 was the bloodiest year since the US-led attack in 2001, amid fierce fighting by Taliban Islamist militia, an al-Qaeda resurgence and a bumper opium crop.
Biggest concern
Acknowledging some weariness among Nato allies, Bush declared: "My biggest concern is that people say, 'Well, we're kind of tired of Afghanistan and, therefore, we think we're going to leave.'"
"It's going to take time for this democratic experiment there in Afghanistan to work. And I believe it will," said the president.
Bolstered by a string of political victories over his Democratic foes, who have failed to curb the war in Iraq, Bush predicted that a fellow Republican would emerge victorious from the hard-fought political contest to succeed him.
"I believe we will keep the White House," he said, vowing to keep raising money for his allies and to "help my party unify" behind the eventual nominee.
The US president remains deeply unpopular with the US public as a whole, with most opinion polls showing him well under 40% approval ratings, amid anger about Iraq and growing worries about the economy.
"Like many Americans, I'm concerned," about rising gas prices and the US housing crisis, said Bush, who added that "all options" including more tax cuts were on the table.
On climate change, Bush insisted he takes the issue "seriously". On the destruction in 2005 of CIA videotapes of terrorist suspect interrogations, Bush said he would not comment until formal investigations have wrapped up.
Looking ahead three weeks, to his first trip to Israel and the West Bank as president, Bush said he hoped to "advance the Palestinian-Israeli peace process", after years of drawing charges that he was neglecting the effort.