Bush- Too early to speculate about U.S.-Iraqi casualties

WACO, Texas -- President Bush said Saturday the United States has no "imminent war plan" for Iraq so it is too early to consider whether Americans are prepared for potential U.S. casualties.

In Washington, Vice President Dick Cheney told Iraqi dissidents the United States will insist upon a democratically elected government to replace Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Bush reiterated he has no deadline for achieving the long-standing U.S. goal of forcing Saddam from power. He pledged that his administration will consult with allies and Congress as it contemplates options that include military force.

"The consultation process is a positive part of really allowing people to fully understand our deep concerns about this man, his regime and his desires to have weapons of mass destruction," Bush said at the start of a golf game on the fourth full day of his working vacation in Texas.

Asked whether the American people are prepared for U.S. soldiers' deaths in any military campaign aimed at Saddam, Bush said, "I think that that presumes there's some kind of imminent war plan."

Danger to U.S. citizens

"What I do believe the American people understand is that weapons of mass destruction in the hands of leaders such as Saddam Hussein are very dangerous for ourselves, our allies," Bush said.

"They know that when we speak of making the world more safe, we do so not only in the context of al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, but nations that have proven themselves to be bad neighbors and bad actors," Bush said.

Saddam remains "an enemy until proven otherwise," he said.

Even before Bush took office, the United States has had a policy of seeking a new government in Baghdad. Bush has cited that policy often in recent days as the national debate on military action has intensified.

He has emphasized the consultation process, in an effort to cool what the White House views as a frenzy of speculation about possible military action.

Bush does not typically say that he would insist upon a democratically elected successor, as he has in the case of the Palestinians.

But on Saturday, Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld made clear it is a democracy the United States wants. The message was delivered to more than a dozen Iraqi opposition leaders who visited the White House complex to discuss the situation. They also met with Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"Very clearly, the vice president and the secretary of Defense indicated they would support a democratic regime in Iraq," said Sharif Ali of the Iraqi National Congress, a leading opposition figure.

"They would not support replacing one dictator with another and in the eventuality of military action, that the United States will not carry out military action to replace one dictator with another," he said.

He added: "We are very optimistic that they will do something to effect regime change."

There was no immediate comment from Cheney's office or the Pentagon.