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WASHINGTON - President Bush warned on Friday if Iranians attempt to launch attacks against Americans or Iraqis inside Iraq, "we will stop them," but said US troops would not go into Iran.
He spoke after The Washington Post reported that US forces have the authority to capture or kill Iranian agents active in attacking American soldiers inside Iraq, a story Bush and other US officials did not deny.
"It makes sense that if somebody is trying to harm our troops or stop us from achieving our goals or killing innocent citizens in Iraq, that we will stop them," Bush said. "It's an obligation we all have to protect our folks and achieve our goals."
As for congressional resolutions opposing his plan to send 21,500 more US troops to Iraq, Bush noted the scepticism but said he was "the decision-maker," that his strategy was aimed at averting disaster in Iraq and that lawmakers should offer their own plan if they do not like his.
Bush said any operations against Iranians would be conducted only inside Iraq. Two weeks ago his comments about going after Iranian networks operating in Iraq prompted speculation in Washington that the United States might launch attacks inside Iran.
"Some are trying to say that because we're enforcing, helping ourselves in Iraq by stopping outside influences killing our soldiers and hurting Iraqi people, that we want to expand this beyond our borders. That's a presumption that's simply not accurate," Bush said.
"We believe that we can solve our problems with Iran diplomatically and are working to do that," he said.
Bush, whose new Iraq plan has been widely condemned by the US Congress and opposed by many Americans, spoke after talks with Army Gen. David Petraeus, just confirmed by the US Senate to take command of the Iraq war.
Widely regarded as one the army's brightest commanders, Petraeus was confirmed on a vote of 81-0. He told senators earlier this week that the situation in Iraq was "dire" but not hopeless.
Petraeus, who has already completed two Iraq tours, will be charged with implementing Bush's plan to send 21,500 more US troops to Iraq in an effort to halt spiralling insurgent attacks and sectarian violence.
Some key members of Bush's Republican party and many Democrats, who won a majority in both houses of the US Congress last November thanks largely to voter anger over the Iraq war, have openly criticised the idea of adding more troops.
Asked about the opposition, Bush said he recognised the "scepticism and pessimism and that some are condemning a plan before it's even had a chance to work."
Opponents, he said, "have an obligation and a serious responsibility therefore to put up their own plan as to what would work."
Several Iranian officials have been detained in three US raids over the last month. Outgoing US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters on Wednesday that details of accusations against them would be made public in the coming days.
The United States has accused Iran of helping arm, train and fund Iraqi militants, notably fellow Shi'ite Muslims.
A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States received intelligence last year saying Iranians were providing Iraqi insurgents with bomb-making equipment or support "clearly intended for use against American soldiers."
"So the national security team, as they discussed this over the last few months, made a decision that our forces needed to be able to protect themselves," the official said.
The Post said there were sceptics to the policy in the intelligence community, State Department and Pentagon, including CIA Director Michael Hayden who said Iranians may try to kidnap or kill US personnel in Iraq as payback.
- REUTERS
