US President George W. Bush said on Sunday that he was pleased with the progress made by US and allied forces in the early stages of the war against Iraq, but warned against any expectation that the conflict would end quickly.
Speaking to reporters at the White House after returning from Camp David, Bush showed a flash of anger in discussing American prisoners of war who were questioned by Iraqi television, but otherwise sought to strike a tone of patience and resolve on a day that saw the fiercest clashes since the military campaign began four days ago.
"It is evident that it's going to take a while to achieve our objective, but we're on course, we're determined and we're making good progress," Bush said.
It was the first time Bush had answered reporters' questions since he announced to the world late on Wednesday night that he had begun the second war of his presidency. He sidestepped a question about Saddam Hussein's fate, pointed to the military's success in securing much of southern Iraq -- particularly the oil fields there -- and warned Turkey against using the war as a pretext for sending its troops into Kurdish areas in northern Iraq.
He pledged that within 36 hours the US would begin pouring food, medicine and other aid into areas of southern Iraq that have fallen under allied control to support his point that the aim of the war is not conquest but freeing the Iraqi people from a brutal regime.
"We've got a massive ground assault going on, and right behind it will be a massive movement of humanitarian aid," Bush said.
Bush's comments on Sunday were the third time in five days that he has emphasized that the conflict might not end quickly or painlessly. They reflected a clear concern at the White House that Bush must guard against over-optimism among Americans and the risk that prolonged fighting or televised images of dead and captured American soldiers could erode public support for the war and his leadership.
Bush's military team also tried to dampen expectations for a quick victory.
"The toughest part is yet to come," General Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told ABC.
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