in the ITV interview with Trevor Mcdonald
Bush was asked about the lack of WMD
the reasons for invading
and the worsening situation

Bush replied by saying that
Zarkarwi was in Iraq
BEFORE the invasion

he was interrupted by TM
and then he repeated the same assertion
YET AGAIN

this has been edited out of the Guardian transcript

[if anyone can find a proper version i would like to see it, please]
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BUSH ON IRAQ


TONIGHT: Mr President, if I can move on to the question of Iraq, when we last spoke before the Iraq war, I asked you about Saddam Hussein and you said this, and I quote: "He harbours and develops weapons of mass destruction, make no mistake about it."


Well, today, no WMD, the war has cost 1,700 American lives, many more Iraqi civilians killed, hundreds of billions of dollars in cost to your country. Can you understand why some people in your country are now beginning to wonder whether it was really worth it?


PRESIDENT BUSH: Absolutely. I mean, when you turn on your TV set every day and see this incredible violence and the havoc that is wreaked as a result of these killers, I'm sure why people are getting discouraged. And that's why I spoke to the nation last night and reminded people that this is a - Iraq is a part of this global war on terror. And the reason why foreign fighters are flocking into Iraq is because they want to drive us out of the region.


See, these folks represent an ideology that is based upon hate and kind of a narrow vision of mankind - women don't have rights. And I believe this is an ideological movement. And I know that they want to use suicide bombers and assassinations and attacks on the World Trade Centre, and the attacks in Madrid, to try to shake our will and to achieve an objective, which is to topple governments. And the best way to defeat an ideology is with a better ideology. And I believe democracy is a better ideology, to provide hope for people and - but yes, it's tough. But we've done tough things before in America. And we've got a great ally in Great Britain. But it's not only Great Britain. As Gerhard Schröder said in the Oval Office, a democratic Iraq is important not only to Germany, but to Europe, and he's right.


Foreign fighters are travelling into Iraq to make it a front line in the war on terror. And I would rather defeat them there than face them in our own country.


TONIGHT: Have you still - do you still think that you may have mismanaged, or do you think you may have mismanaged public expectations about a quick victory and a decisive ending to this war? You've talked in optimistic terms. But now, as you say, the carnage on the screens night after night seems - tell a different story.
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edited out....Orwell spins in his grave
he must look like a kebab by now!!!!

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PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, certainly that's a very powerful weapon for the terrorists, is to kill innocent men, women and children, and try to shake our will and conscience. And on the other hand, there is progress being made in Iraq.


Remember, it wasn't all that long ago that 8 million people went to the polls to vote. And you might remember the discussions prior to the vote. I had a lot of people saying, 'Well, they don't know what they're doing, the people don't want to be free, certain people can't - they're not going to - what makes you think they want democracy?' And all of a sudden, when given the chance, 8 million people voted. And now the political process is moving in parallel with the security process. And our strategy is to help the Iraqis stand up a viable government, to encourage them to get their constitution written, and to have the elections, to ratify the constitution, as well as a government under the constitution, and, at the same time, train Iraqis so they can fight. That's our strategy. And we're making good progress.


TONIGHT: Is the administration at sixes and sevens about the insurgency in Iraq? The vice-president said that we're in the last throes, or seeing the last throes of the insurgency. Donald Rumsfeld comes up and says we could be there for five, eight, 10, 12 years. Which is it? Which do you believe?


PRESIDENT BUSH: I believe that we will succeed in Iraq, because, one, the Iraqis want to live in a free society.


TONIGHT: But how long will it take, Mr President?


PRESIDENT BUSH: And, two, that the Iraqis want to take the fight to the enemy. And people want me to put a timetable on things; that's a huge mistake. Putting a timetable on this - on our stay there in Iraq simply emboldens the enemy and discourages our friends. And so, therefore, my answer is just, quickly as possible, and we are making progress.


TONIGHT: Do you ever think maybe this was not such a good idea?


PRESIDENT BUSH: No, I'm actually confident it's the right thing to do.


TONIGHT: You have never had any doubts at all about it?


PRESIDENT BUSH: I am absolutely confident that we made the right decision. And not only that, I'm absolutely confident that the actions we took in Iraq are influencing reformers and freedom lovers in the greater Middle East. And I believe that you're going to see the rise of democracy in many countries in the broader Middle East, which will lay the foundation for peace.