US President George W. Bush, facing a mounting US death toll in Iraq, will outline his hopes on Tuesday for building democracy and strengthening Iraqi security forces this year.

"2006 will be a time of more testing and sacrifice," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said on Monday. "The terrorists and Saddam loyalists want to continue to try to derail the transition to democracy. They are fighting progress."

A suicide attack inside Iraq's Interior Ministry compound killed 28 people on Monday, which followed one of the bloodiest days in months, when attacks killed 120 people.

In one of the worst weekends for the US military since the 2003 invasion, a US helicopter crashed in Iraq, killing all 12 people on board, and five Marines died in the west of the country.

In a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Bush will talk about building democracy, the importance of strengthening Iraqi security forces and reconstruction efforts, McClellan said.

"And he will talk about how in each of these areas we have learned from experience; we're fixing what's not working and we're adapting as necessary to complete the mission," he said.

There will be more focus on improving the training and capability of the Iraqi police and expanding those forces in 2006, McClellan said.

Bush has refused to set a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, but says American forces can pull out when Iraqi forces take over security.

More than 2,200 Americans and some 30,000 Iraqis have been killed in the Iraq war.

Bush will also call on the international community to fulfill its pledges to Iraq, McClellan said.
 
"There's been more than US$13 billion pledged by the international community. There are a number of countries that have not fulfilled those commitments. And they need to be fulfilled to help the Iraqi people move forward," he said.

(Chinadaily.com via agencies January 10, 2006)