President George W. Bush sought on Saturday to dispel concerns about the readiness of US-trained Iraqi security forces, declaring himself "encouraged" even though his top generals say the number of battalions that can fight insurgents without help has dropped.
"I'm encouraged by the increasing size and capability of the Iraqi security forces. Today they have more than 100 battalions operating throughout the country, and our commanders report that the Iraqi forces are serving with increasing effectiveness," Bush said in his weekly radio address.
Bush has said that creating Iraqi security forces able to defend their own country is a prerequisite to an eventual withdrawal of US forces from Iraq.
One of the few measures the Pentagon has offered the public to judge the capabilities of Iraqi security forces has been the number of battalions that can go into combat with insurgents without the help of the US military.
Bush also sought to repair any damage. He said on Saturday the US military and its allies are "constantly adapting our tactics to the changing tactics of the terrorists."
A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll published last week found 63 percent of respondents said some or all of the US troops in Iraq should be withdrawn, and a record-high 59 percent said the invasion was a mistake.
Bush cited the killing of al Qaeda's Abu Azzam as a sign the US strategy in Iraq was defeating a violent insurgency.
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