Bush takes responsibility for nuclear gaffe

US PRESIDENT George W Bush yesterday accepted responsibility for a discredited portion his State of the Union address that suggested deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was shopping for nuclear material in Africa.

"I take personal responsibility for everything I say, absolutely," the president said during an hour-long White House news conference where he sought to quell a controversy that has dogged his administration for weeks.

It was the first time he had specifically taken responsibility for the words. In the past, he side-stepped the question, only taking responsibility for his decisions. Mr Bush also expressed strong support for his National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, defending her against criticism over her role in the controversy.