US stressing Iraq success amid attacks

[Khephra]

Despite daily attacks on American forces, the US ground commander in Iraq delivered an upbeat assessment yesterday of the 100-day period since Baghdad fell.

Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez played down the daunting problems facing his troops and the US administration here, and Iraqis' widespread complaints about the occupation.

''By God, I guarantee you we've made tremendous progress,'' Sanchez said at a news conference. ''We are way ahead of schedule.''

In southern Iraq, US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz, a key architect of the war, insisted that the United States is committed to rebuilding the country and stressed that bringing the regime's former leader to justice is a top priority. ''We're not playing any games with Saddam Hussein,'' Wolfowitz, on a four-day visit to Iraq, said in Najaf. ''The sooner we catch that bastard -- excuse me -- the better off everybody will be.''

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