Bush Defends Iraq Plan on CBS' '60 Minutes'

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STEVE INSKEEP, host:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

President GEORGE W. BUSH: I think I'm a flexible, open-minded person, I really do.

INSKEEP: President Bush spoke on "60 Minutes" last night. He said his openness does not mean he's going to follow Congressional criticism of his Iraq strategy.

President BUSH: They could try to stop me from doing it, but I've made my decision and we're going forward.

INSKEEP: The President spoke to CBS at Camp David, the presidential retreat outside Washington. And he acknowledged some mistakes in the Iraq effort.

President BUSH: Abu Ghraib was a mistake. Using bad language like, you know, bring 'em on was a mistake. I think history is going to look back and see a lot of ways we could have done things better, no question about it.

INSKEEP: And he spoke about the execution of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader whose guards were recorded taunting him during his execution.

President BUSH: I thought it was discouraging. You know, obviously could have handled this thing a lot better. It's important that that chapter of Iraqi history be closed.

INSKEEP: Mr. Bush also told interviewer Scott Pelley that he watched parts of the execution on the Internet.

President BUSH: Somebody showed me parts of it, yeah. I didn't want to watch the whole thing.

Mr. SCOTT PELLEY (CBS News): When you keep saying parts of it, what do you mean you didn't want to watch the whole thing?

President BUSH: Well, I just - I wasn't sure what to anticipate beyond the yelling and stuff like that. I didn't…

Mr. PELLEY: You didn't want to see him go through the trap door?

President BUSH: Yeah. Yes, I didn't.

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