By Paula Wolfson
President Bush and Senator John Kerry traded accusations on Iraq and the war on terrorism Wednesday as they campaigned in crucial states where polls show a very close race.
In this campaign, what one candidate sees as stubbornness, the other calls resolve.
John Kerry says President Bush has made a series of mistakes in combating terror and waging war in Iraq. The Democratic nominee says Mr. Bush ignores all advice that runs contrary to his own views, and refuses to recognize any problems.
"These are major misjudgments - misjudgments by stubbornness," said Senator Kerry. "You know, the president keeps saying how certain he is about things. But you can't just be always certain and frequently wrong."
But President Bush says his determination to get the job done is a sign of strength, and that he stands resolute in the face of the terrorist threat.
"The most solemn duty of the American president is to protect the American people," said President Bush. "If American shows uncertainty or weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch."
Both candidates spoke Monday at campaign events in Iowa - a state in the upper Midwest where polls show a virtual tie in the race for the White House. They passed within about a hundred kilometers of each other and addressed rallies at roughly the same time, each man attacking the other's handling of key security issues.
Senator Kerry charged once again that the war on terrorism is suffering because President Bush has devoted so much time and attention to Iraq. Mr. Kerry praised the Americans now serving in Iraq and suggested they deserve a president who will always level with them.
"Our troops are the best trained, best led forces in the world and they have been doing their job honorably and bravely," he said. "The problem is the commander in chief has not been doing his."
President Bush countered that John Kerry has a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the war on terror, saying Iraq is a key part of the conflict.
"We are staying on the offensive," he said. "We will strike the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them at home. We will spread freedom and liberty and we will prevail."
The president noted that Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawai, who is believed responsible for beheadings and other terrorist acts in Iraq, has apparently struck an alliance with al-Qaida. But the Kerry campaign said Mr. Bush is missing the point, that terrorists are more active in Iraq today because of the administration's poor post-war planning.
Paula Wolfson, VOA news, the White House.

注释：
accusation 谴责，指控
stubbornness 倔强，顽强
wage 发动
virtual 实质的
beheading 斩首