Bush sees Mideast 'freer, more hopeful'

He says his administration made it 'more promising place'

He acknowledged that the Iraq war, now lasting nearly six years and costing more than $650 billion, has been longer and more costly than he expected. But he did not attempt to explain early predictions by the top officials of his administration that the war would be shorter and much less costly.

However, he alluded to the frequent criticism that his administration sought to justify the invasion by connecting Hussein to the Sept. 11 attacks.

"It is true, as I have said many times, that Saddam Hussein was not connected to the 9/11 attacks," Bush said. "But the decision to remove Saddam from power cannot be viewed in isolation from 9/11."

Top administration officials, however, especially Vice President Dick Cheney, repeatedly pointed to alleged ties between Hussein and al-Qaida. A bipartisan Senate panel in 2006 concluded there was no connection between Hussein and Sept. 11.

Emphasizing the positive on Iran's nuclear program, Bush said the Tehran government is facing "greater pressure from the international community than ever before."