Bush begins PR campaign on US action in Iraq

President George W. Bush on Friday said the Iraqi society has stepped back from "the abyss" following last month's bombing of a holy Shi'ite mosque, yet the situation remains tense with sectarian strife. Bush is beginning a series of speeches on Monday to convince Americans, worried about reports of daily bombings in Iraq, that the United States is on the right path to defeat terrorists and insurgents there. Bush's first speech will focus on work that the Iraqi security forces are doing to quell violence. Two more Bush speeches later this month come as the administration is marking the three-year anniversary of March 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The new public relations campaign, which will include speeches by other top administration officials, comes as Bush is seeing declining public support for the war.