WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The following are excerpts from President George W. Bush's interview with Reuters and other news agencies on Wednesday at the White House. On North Korea's agreement to return to the six-party talks: "We want these talks to succeed, because I've always believed that we can solve the ... North Korean nuclear issue peacefully. Success will mean that the North Koreans verifiably give up their weapons and weapons programs. And success for them will mean that they won't be isolated and there's a better way forward for their people. It's a positive moment." On North Korean leader Kim Jong-il: "I know Kim Jong-il has been trying to divide the group. ... I suspect he didn't realize how serious we were in working together. And my hope is, is that he now recognizes the seriousness of the other five parties (United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia) -- of the five parties, and that we will continue to work together to enforce the U.N. Security Council resolution that was passed." On Iraq: "I'm pleased that Prime Minister (Nuri al-) Maliki is showing leadership. It is, to me, heartening to see a leader say, you know, I want more troops, I want to align authority and responsibility. I appreciate he's making hard decisions that ... he thinks are necessary to keep his country united and moving forward. ... Much was made out of the so-called differences of opinion. I didn't find many differences of opinion when I talked to him. We both want Iraq to be able to govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself. We both want there to be benchmarks -- Iraqi designed and developed benchmarks that show the Iraqi people and the American people that this young democracy is making progress. "No question October was a tough month. We lost 103 soldiers. It was a tough month because we were on the offense. It was a tough month because the enemy was on the offense. The enemy was trying to affect us. And it was a tough month because of Ramadan. It's estimated that our troops and Iraqi troops killed or captured over 1,500 people during this period of time. And, obviously, security is a part of our strategy. And the more Iraqis that are in the fight, the more likely it is that our troops will be able to step back. And that's what we're working on." On the Nov. 7 elections: "I'm enjoying myself out there. ... I like crowds, I like the noise, I like the excitement of a campaign. I like all the speculation. It happens every campaign cycle. It's the time of year when the pundits get to strut their stuff. And then we get to be right or wrong after Election Day. (In) 2004, a lot of people had me gone. Two-thousand-six, I've heard the same prognostications. I believe we're going to hold the House and the Senate." On Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry's statement that his comments on the education of U.S. troops was a "botched joke:" "It didn't sound like a joke to me. More importantly, it didn't sound like a joke to the troops. And we've got young men and women in harm's way, and they deserve the full praise of any of us in office. Look, I said yesterday, you can disagree on my decisions about whether or not we ought to be in Iraq, but all of us ought to be praising those troops." On whether he wants Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to stay in their jobs until the end of his presidency in January 2009: "Both those men are doing fantastic jobs. And I strongly support them. ... I asked Vice President Cheney to get on my ticket, to run with me, because I trust his -- I value his judgment and his advice. And he's given me good advice. The good thing about Vice President Cheney's advice is you don't read about it in the newspaper after he gives it. In other words, he's a trusted adviser. He's not out there trying to make his own way. He's an integral part of this team. "On Secretary Rumsfeld, I have asked him to fight two fronts in the war on terror -- Afghanistan and Iraq -- as well as transform our military. Any one of those would have been a lot for any secretary of defense to handle. He's handled all three at the same time, and I'm pleased with the progress we're making. I fully recognize the war on terror is a tough fight, and I understand how hard it is to transform the military so that the military is able to meet the threats of the 21st century. But his record, in terms of transformation, is going to be remarkable." On whether he was expecting his commanders in Iraq to ask for an increase in U.S. troops: "Well, they recommended a troop increase last summer, and I said, you bet, I support you. But no, they haven't. Evidently there's been a lot of speculation about what I supposedly have been told." What have you been told? "That the troop level they got right now is what they can live with."
