Accentuating the positive
Bush, however, offers a generally optimistic view of Iraq that aides say comes from what he sees as substantial long-term progress. The president considers the January elections that allowed the United States to turn over more control of security one of the biggest triumphs of the broader battle against terrorism. He also believes the Iraqis are moving closer to a deal to form a new government and are creating a functioning security force that will eventually allow the United States to pull out.

Bush has no plans to change his upbeat assessment of Iraq, where fresh waves of attacks since the beginning of last month have killed nearly 100 Americans and many more Iraqis. Vice President Cheney recently said the insurgency is in its "last throes," an assertion he did not back away from when asked this week, contradicting reports that Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) and Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) brought back from a trip to Iraq.

"In my judgment, this gap between rhetoric and reality is in large part responsible for the sharp decrease in public support for our efforts in Iraq," Biden said in a letter to colleagues yesterday. "Americans believe we are not leveling with them about Iraq and that we have no coherent strategy for success. I fear the end result will be to take away from our troops one of their most important weapons: the support of the American people."

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Biden said military leaders in Iraq told him the United States is at least two years away from training an Iraqi army that can stand on its own. Some military experts say it will take even longer. Bush plans to address the progress of troop training soon. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Cheney have said 160,000 Iraqi troops are functioning, a number many dispute. In a slight shift from what Cheney has been saying, Bush will say that some of the Iraqi troops are more prepared than others, a top official said.

Even some Democrats say Bush could turn things around if he spoke frankly about what has been done and the obstacles to finishing the job.

Bush has often avoided commenting on the situation in Iraq in deference to the fledgling government, concerned he might complicate its work. "The idea of giving them space was the right move, but we also have to take into consideration his responsibility to educate the American people," the top official said.

Still, White House officials say Bush's fate is tied to events on the ground. They said Bush is pushing hard for the Iraqi government to meet this year's deadlines for writing a new constitution and finalizing a government.

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