President George Bush has warned Iraq that America's patience may be running out, but promised that US forces would remain there until it becomes stable and peaceful. In his most sombre comments to date, he acknowledged that the US public was concerned at the worsening security situation in Iraq.
"I know many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq. I'm not satisfied either. And that is why we're taking new steps to help to secure Baghdad, and constantly adjusting our tactics across the country to meet the changing threat. But we cannot allow our dissatisfaction to turn into disillusionment about our purpose in this war," he said.
Ninety-one US soldiers have died in Iraq since the start of October, a month set to become the bloodiest for US forces since November 2004, when they fought deadly street battles in Fallujah.
However, Mr Bush insisted that the US was winning its war against insurgents in Iraq, which he described as central to the broader struggle against Islamist terrorism.
"People now understand the stakes. We're winning, and we will win, unless we leave before the job is done. And the crucial battle right now is Iraq . . . I understand how tough it is, really tough," he said.
The president was speaking hours after Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki complained angrily that US forces had launched an attack in Sadr City, a Shia district of Baghdad, without consulting him.
The operation targeted the Mahdi army, a militia led by Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who also heads one of the parties in Mr Maliki's coalition government.
"We will ask for clarification about what has happened in Sadr City. We will review this issue with the multinational forces so that it will not be repeated. The Iraqi government should be aware and part of any military operation. Co-ordination is needed between the Iraqi government and the multinational forces," Mr Maliki said.
The Iraqi prime minister also bridled at US suggestions that his government needed a timetable for tackling the militias responsible for much of the sectarian violence in Iraq. "I affirm that this government represents the will of the people, and no one has the right to impose a timetable on it," he said.
Mr Bush expressed confidence in Mr Maliki's leadership and said that the timeline Washington was proposing was not a timetable for withdrawal of US troops.
In fact, the president suggested, US forces could still be in Iraq in five or 10 years, and he did not rule out establishing permanent US military bases there.
"Any decisions about permanency in Iraq will be made by the Iraqi government. And, frankly, it's not in much of a position to be thinking about what the world is going to look like five or 10 years from now. They are working to make sure that we succeed in the short term. And they need our help," he said.
Public unease about Iraq is contributing to a national mood in the US which could rob Republicans of their congressional majority in mid-term elections in two weeks' time.
Mr Bush predicted that his party would retain control of Congress and dismissed calls for defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld to be sacked for his handling of the military operation in Iraq. "He is a smart, tough, capable administrator. As importantly, he understands that the best way to fight this war - whether it be in Iraq or anywhere else around the world - is to make sure our troops are ready, that morale is high, that we transform the nature of our military to meet the threats, and that we give our commanders on the ground the flexibility necessary to make the tactical changes to achieve victory," Mr Bush said.