The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Washington

President Bush defiantly defended the Iraq war as U.S. troops began a sixth year of combat in the long and costly conflict that has dominated his presidency. Bush conceded the war has been harder and more expensive than anticipated but insisted it has all been necessary to keep Americans safe.

Protesters marked the anniversary of the U.S. invasion with demonstrations near the White House and in other cities, though they seemed to lack the fervor of those that preceded the war.

Bush, in a speech at the Pentagon Wednesday, offered some of his boldest assessments of progress and said the war's legacy is absolute: "The world is better, and the United States of America is safer."

A war-weary country isn't nearly so convinced.

The majority of people think the invasion was a mistake, polls show. However, Americans are more split about how the war is going and when U.S. troops should be pulled home, as reduced violence in Iraq has begun to influence the public view.

Almost 4,000 U.S. military members have died, and more than 29,000 have been wounded. The cost is $500 billion and counting.

"No one would argue that this war has not come at a high cost in lives and treasure," Bush said. "But those costs are necessary when we consider the cost of a strategic victory for our enemies in Iraq."

The U.S. has about 158,000 troops in Iraq, and that number is expected to drop to 140,000 by summer. But Bush signaled anew that he will not pull more troops home as long as his commanders worry that doing so will imperil recently improved conditions in Iraq.

"Having come so far, and achieved so much, we're not going to let this happen," Bush said.

Demonstrators converged in the nation's capital, other big cities like Miami and San Francisco, and in smaller towns in Vermont and Ohio to urge an end to the war. Police arrested more than 30 people who blocked the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, and protesters blocked downtown intersections several times.

However, the demonstrators numbered in the hundreds rather than the thousands organizers had hoped for.

Even as his time and power wane, Bush made clear he will prosecute the war as he deems fit till the end of his presidency.

In the campaign to replace him, Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged to end the war, but squabbled Wednesday over who could do it best.

Democrats in Congress assailed Bush for failed, tired leadership and questioned why he did not push Iraq's leaders to live up to promises.

"All the president seems able to offer Americans is more of the same perpetual disregard for the costs and consequences of stubbornly staying the course in Iraq," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.