Bush pledges to stay in Iraq to the last drop of someone else's blood

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http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=6553442&cKey=1142893217000

Bush says U.S. will not abandon Iraq

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - President George W. Bush pledged on Monday the United States will not abandon Iraq as a major Shi'ite religious ritual unfolded amid heavy security in the sacred city of Kerbala three years to the day after the U.S.-led invasion.

In a series of speeches, Bush is trying to convince a sceptical American public that he has a winning strategy for Iraq to counter fears that a relentless cycle of sectarian violence is spiralling into civil war.

Speaking in Cleveland, Bush gave a sombre assessment of the war, saying bluntly that Iraq remains an uphill battle.

"In the face of continued reports about killings and reprisals, I understand how some Americans have had their confidence shaken," Bush said. "They wonder what I see that they don't."