He says the war-ravaged country requires continued patience from the Americans and continued efforts to build alliances between its fractured minorities.

Scowcroft, an Ogden native, explained his views on Iraq and the war on terror to politicians, former interns and even some childhood acquaintances Friday at an event to celebrate the Hinckley Institute of Politics' 40th anniversary.

His sister's father-in-law, Robert Hinckley, founded the University of Utah institute, which hosts regular political discussions and sends interns to Washington, D.C., and Utah's Capitol annually.

Scowcroft was the first prominent Republican who publicly criticized President Bush's plan to invade Iraq, doing so in a 2002 opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.

But three years into the conflict, Scowcroft is urging the United States to stick it out, no matter how long it takes.

"I don't believe in the notion that one can't create a democracy," he said. "But you can't order one. It has to grow."

He fears the Bush administration "is in a hurry" to stabilize Iraq and withdraw troops, bowing to political pressure that comes from poll numbers showing the majority of Americans disapprove of the war. As an example, he points to U.S. pressure to force an agreement on an Iraqi constitution, which is still adamantly opposed by the Sunni minority.

"We are actually accentuating the divisions in the country, instead of helping them live together," Scowcroft said.

The general doesn't know how long it will be before American troops can come home. He said a stable Iraq needs a vibrant government and a loyal and strong military: goals he knows are attainable but fears are far into the future.

Similarly, Scowcroft believes the war on terror is one that will stretch into future decades. But this war must be fought in new ways because, he said, killing terrorists is not enough to ensure victory.

He equated America's current efforts to "shoveling fog into a bucket." The U.S. military isn't fighting a known army, with obvious battles with quantifiable victories or defeats.

Efforts to destroy terrorist organizations have resulted in the multiplication of terrorist cells, though their ability to execute a cataclysmic attack is continually diminished.

"The only way we have to get at it is by going after recruitment," he said, suggesting the administration spend more effort addressing why people in the Middle East decide to become suicide bombers and insurgent fighters.

Even with this switch in tactic, Scowcroft expects the war on terror to be at the forefront of the American psyche for years to come.

"It may take a generation before we can relax."

mcanham@sltrib.com