The delegates also oppose any fixed timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq, although some say they are not satisfied with the status of the war.

Republican Sen. Bob Bennett said the war the military faced was not what it expected and tactics have had to change - an adjustment that has not been fully achieved - but the rationale for the war remains solid.

"I'm still very comfortable that the decision to go in was the right one and the prospects of a good result are better than 50-50. But am I satisfied with the way things are going and where we are? No."

However, he said, the question should be whether progress is being made, and in his recent visit to Iraq, the message he got from commanders and soldiers is that things are moving in the right direction.

That theme was echoed by President Bush in a speech Tuesday night, when he assured the American public that the cost of the war is justified.

"Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country," Bush said.

To date, more than 1,740 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq, including 11 Utahns.

"The loss of one American soldier is too much. I lost my brother in the Second World War, and it's affected me my whole life," said Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch. "But there's been a lot of good come from this. There's been a price to be paid, and I think there are prices to be paid. But we have not had a terrorist incident in this country of any magnitude since 9-11 and I think the reason is that we're taking it to them over there."

Utah's National Guard soldiers bore a significant burden early in the war, with longer deployments than planned, but Republican Rep. Rob Bishop said they should be proud of what they have done in Iraq.

"The United States has made the lives of the Iraqi people better, but Utahns have especially blessed the lives of many of the people in Iraq," Bishop said.

Recent polls have shown eroding support for the war. Still, a majority supports leaving troops in Iraq until order is restored.

"You've got a pretty hard-core group of Americans who recognize how important this struggle is for America and although they know it could've gone differently, they're going to be with the president," said Republican Rep. Chris Cannon.

Rep. Jim Matheson, the sole Democrat in the delegation, said the country is not getting an honest assessment of the situation in Iraq and a "strategy for success."

"We need a more clear statement of a strategy for success and also a clear statement of what is working and what is not working," he said.

"Everything has not gone well [in the war] and we have to be honest about that," but he opposed any set timetable for withdrawing troops, as did the rest of the delegation.

Bishop said deadlines for withdrawing troops would give the insurgents hope that they could wait out the U.S. military. But deadlines could be moved up for transferring power to the Iraqi government and Iraqi troops, which could bring U.S. troops home sooner.

Said Hatch, "We recognize that this war cannot be won by military might alone. It's going to be won by putting the political process on a stable footing." That process is under way with the elections in January and the upcoming Aug. 15 deadline for drafting a formal constitution.

"Everything has not gone well [in the war] and we have to be honest about that."

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah