Kerry rallies troops as battle with Bush begins

JOHN Kerry, carefully tiptoeing around the question of whether the war in Iraq is right or wrong, argued the case that he is more able than President George W Bush to lead the nation in a time of war.

In a determinedly upbeat speech, Mr Kerry accused Mr Bush of squandering international goodwill, misleading the nation into war, being unable to appreciate the trauma of battle and failing to comprehend the complexities of world events. "As president, I will ask hard questions and demand hard evidence," Mr Kerry said in a challenge to Mr Bush's judgment.

Referring to his battlefield experience in Vietnam, Mr Kerry said: "I defended this country as a young man, and I will defend it as president.'