President Bush said the United States is adapting its reconstruction efforts in Iraq to focus on smaller, local projects that can deliver rapid, noticeable improvement.
Mr. Bush acknowledged the reconstruction has not always gone as well as he might have hoped, largely because of violent attacks by what he called Saddamists and terrorists.
He said America is helping the Iraqi government reverse decades of economic decline. He said former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had neglected the country's resources and squandered the talent and energy of its people.