WASHINGTON, March 13 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. President George W. Bush vowed here to build "a strong democracy ... a modern economy" in Iraq while admitting that "the situation in Iraq is still tense."

    "We are still seeing acts of sectarian violence and reprisal. Yet out of this crisis, we have also seen signs of a hopeful future," Bush said in his first of a new series of speeches on Iraq.

    "Our strategy has three elements. On the political side, we're helping Iraqis build a strong democracy so that old resentments will be eased and the insurgency marginalized.

    "On the economic side, we're continuing the reconstruction efforts and helping Iraqis build a modern economy that will give all its citizens a stake in a free and peaceful Iraq."

    On the security side, Bush said, U.S. troops are striking terrorist targets and training the Iraqi security forces, which, he said, "are taking responsibility for more Iraqi territory and becoming increasingly capable of defeating the enemy."

    Bush once again declined to talk about the timetable of military withdrawal from Iraq. "My decisions on troops levels will be made based upon the conditions on the ground and on the recommendations of our military commanders, not artificial timetables set by politicians here in Washington, E.D."

    Bush made the speech just days before the third anniversary of the U.S.-led military offensive to remove Saddam Hussein from power on grounds he possessed weapons of mass destruction and could give them to terrorists like those behind the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

    However, no such weapons were ever found, and Bush blamed poor intelligence for the lapse while Democrats accused the Bush administration of exaggerating the threat and twisting the intelligence to fit the case for war.

    Bush is due to make a series of speeches on Iraq in the coming days. Enditem