President Bush says the Iraqi government's execution of toppled leader Saddam Hussein shows it still has some maturation to do.
In an interview with the Public Broadcasting Service's Newshour with Jim Lehrer, Mr. Bush said he was disappointed and felt the Iraqis fumbled the execution.
He says Saddam was given a trial and justice, but that when it came to the execution, it looked like a revenge killing.
Mr. Bush also told Newshour he is frustrated with the progress being made in Iraq. He said there is no question that 2006 was a "lousy" year for Iraq.
But Mr. Bush said that to withdraw U.S. forces from the country would lead to an "expedited failure."
The interview is Mr. Bush's latest since announcing his new strategy for Iraq last week. The plan includes sending more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq.
Footage of Saddam's final moments were recorded in an illicit video and posted on the Internet. The video shows officials taunting Saddam on the gallows.
