The president promised that elections in Iraq would not be derailed by the recent spasms of violence, like the twin car bombings that killed 66 people over the weekend.

Bush told a news conference that "terrorists" intent on disrupting the democratic process 20 months after US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein, would be defeated.

"I certainly don't expect the process to be trouble-free," he said.

"Yet I am confident of the result. I'm confident that terrorists will fail, the elections will go forward, and Iraq will be a democracy that reflects the values and traditions of its people," he said.

A stubborn insurgency and escalating violence has prompted some Iraqis to call for a postponement of next month's elections, which the Bush administration sees as the culmination of last year's drive to oust Saddam Hussein.

But Bush rejected the idea, citing his promise to increase US troops levels in Iraq for the elections and to continue to train Iraqi security forces.

"The elections in January are just the beginning of a process. And it's important for the American people to understand that," he said.

Bush praised Secretary of State Rumsfeld as doing "a really fine job" managing the troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and told reporters that he was "very pleased" when Rumsfeld agreed to stay on after the president won a second, four-year mandate.

Rumsfeld has come under a barrage of criticism in recent weeks -- including from several top Republican lawmakers in Congress -- as US military casualties in Iraq mount.

The defense secretary he has been slammed as much his gruff and imperious style as for his perceived missteps in planning the conflict.

But the president said he is convinced Rumsfeld is the right person to head the Pentagon now.

"And I asked him to stay on because I understand the nature of the job ... and I believe he's doing a really fine job," Bush said.

"The secretary of defense is a complex job. It's complex in times of peace. And it's complex even more so in times of war.

"And the secretary has managed this department during two major battles in the war on terror: Afghanistan and Iraq. And at the same time, he's working to transform our military so it functions better. It's lighter."

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