Bush, Kerry clash over Iraq war in 1st debate

US President George W. Bush and his Democrat rival John Kerry clashed fiercely over Iraq on Thursday during their first face-to-face debate, which has the potential to tip the race for the White House.

Kerry accused Bush of diverting attention from the war on terrorism by launching the war in Iraq, while Bush insisted that the world is safer by the removal of Saddam Hussein.

"I will hunt down and kill the terrorists wherever they are. But we also have to be smart," Kerry said at the debate at the University of Miami in Florida. "And smart means not diverting your attention from the real war on terror in Afghanistan against Osama bin Laden and taking it off to Iraq."

"Iraq was not even close to the center of the war on terror before the president invaded it," Kerry said.

The Massachusetts senator said Bush had made "a colossal error of judgment" in launching the war against Iraq.

"First of all, he made the misjudgment of saying to America that he was going to build a true alliance...In fact, he first didn't even want to do that," he said.

"He also promised America that he would go to war as a last resort...I don't believe the United States did that," Kerry said.

Kerry mocked Bush's claim that the United States went to the war with "a great alliance," saying the United States is bearing "90 percent of the casualties and 90 percent of the cost," or 200 billion US dollars.

Bush contended that Kerry looked at the same intelligence in 2002 and concluded that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein poised a grave threat. "I agree with him," he said. "The world is better off without Saddam Hussein."

The Republican president, as he did on his campaign trails, repeatedly accused Kerry of shifting positions on Iraq.

"He voted to authorize the use of force and now says it's the wrong war at the wrong time. .... I don't think you can lead if you say wrong war, wrong time, wrong place. What message does that send to our troops?'' Bush said.

"The only thing consistent about my opponent's position is that he's inconsistent. He changes positions. You cannot change positions in this war on terror if you expect to win," Bush said.

Kerry acknowledged that he had made a mistake once in how he talked about the war, and accused Bush of sticking to his mistakes.

"When I talked about the 87 billion dollars, I made a mistake in how I talk about the war, but the president made a mistake in invading Iraq. Which is worse?" Kerry asked, referring to the bill authorizing money to the US military in Iraq, which he vetoed.

As during the campaigns, Bush described himself as a leader who always stands steadfast and resolute. But Kerry said: "It's one thing to be certain, but you can be certain and be wrong."

The 90-minute nationally televised encounter, which started at 9 p.m. (0100 GMT Friday), was held as bloody conflict was escalating in Iraq. Three car bombs in Baghdad killed 41, most of them children, and US military forces launched a major attack against the insurgents in Samarra.

The debate was one of three debates in a two-week period. The two candidates will meet Oct. 8 in St. Louis and again on Oct. 13 in Tempe, Arizona.

The debates offer the best opportunities, and maybe the last chances also, for the candidates to reach out to undecided voters before the Nov. 2 voting.

Recent polls showed that up to 61 percent of the 200 million potential voters expect to watch the debates. Some 29 percent say the debates could influence their voting choice.

Bush is leading Kerry with by 6-8 percentage points in various polls heading to the debate, which was held less than five weeks until the election. But the debates have the potential to change the dynamics in the campaign.