US President George W. Bush on Tuesday vehemently defended his Iraq policy, vowing that the United States will stay the course in Iraq and complete the job there despite the tough time the US-led coalition forces had over the past two weeks to battle widespread insurgency.

"Weeks such as we've had in Iraq make some doubt whether or not we're making progress. I understand that. It was a tough, tough period. But we are making progress," Bush said in a nationally-televised press conference held in the White House.

"My message today to those in Iraq is we'll stay the course. We'll complete the job. My message to our troops is we'll stay the course and complete the job and you'll have what you need," he said.

Bush, who is facing increasing criticism over his Iraq policy at home, said the United States will not waver in the face of difficulties in Iraq.

"We will succeed in Iraq. We're carrying out a decision that has already been made and will not change," he noted.

"No one can predict all the hazards that lie ahead of the coststhey will bring. Yet in this conflict, there is no safe alternative to resolute action," Bush said. "The consequences of failure in Iraq would be unthinkable."

Asked to comment on the comparison between Iraq and Vietnam, Bush said the analogy is false, adding that it sends the wrong message to US troops as well as US enemies.

The US president reiterated that the United States will stick to the June 30 deadline to return sovereignty to Iraqis although security situation has deteriorated in Iraq with 82 US soldiers killed in the past two weeks.

"We will not step back from our pledge. On June 30, Iraqi sovereignty will be placed in Iraqi hands," he said.

He said the United States is working closely with the United Nations (UN) envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, and with Iraqis to determine the exact form of the government that will receive sovereignty on June 30.

After Iraqis regain their sovereignty, Bush said, the United States and all the nations of US coalition will establish normal diplomatic relations with the new Iraqi government.

"An American embassy will open, and an American ambassador willbe posted," he said.

Praising allies for efforts to help rebuild Iraq, President Bush said he favors the adoption of a new UN resolution on Iraq ina bid to convince more countries to send troops to help stabilize the oil-rich country.

"I think one of the things you're seeing is more involvement bythe United Nations in terms of the political process (in Iraq). That's helpful," he said.

"I'd like to get another UN Security Council resolution out that will help other nations to decide to participate," he added.

This is the clearest message so far from the administration that it wants a new UN resolution on Iraq to accommodate concerns from US allies, especially Spain, over the mandate of their troopsin Iraq after Iraqis regain sovereignty on June 30.

US officials had said earlier that the United States is willingto consider such a resolution but insisted that UN Security Council resolution 1511 adopted in October last year has already provided the cover needed for foreign countries to deploy stabilizing troops in Iraq.

Source: Xinhua