Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush said chemical and biological weapons Iraq may have possessed were a danger even if the threat wasn't imminent and that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein might have disposed of them before the war.

``I believe it is essential that when we see a threat, we deal with those threats before they become imminent,'' Bush said in an interview on NBC's ``Meet the Press'' broadcast today. ``It's too late if they become imminent.''

Bush has come under criticism from Democrats and some Republicans in Congress for his justification for the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Former U.S. chief weapons inspector David Kay said intelligence about Iraq's weapons programs was ``all wrong.''

The issue is being raised in the presidential race as Bush seeks a second term in the November general election, and criticism from Democrats has focused on language used by Bush and members of his administration to build the case for war. In a speech on Oct. 2, 2002, after Congress authorized him to wage war to disarm Hussein's regime, Bush said Iraq posed ``a threat of unique urgency'' and was a ``grave threat'' to the U.S.

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who is leading the Democratic presidential nomination race, said Bush ``sent America's sons and daughters marching off to war'' based on faulty information.

Credibility Questioned

``The problem is not just that President Bush is changing his story now,'' Kerry said in a statement released after Bush's interview was broadcast. ``It is that it appears he was telling the American people stories'' before the war.

Kerry called on Bush to testify before the new presidential commission that will probe intelligence lapses on Iraq. Bush said he'd ``be glad to visit with them'' to share knowledge.

In the hour-long interview, taped yesterday at the White House, Bush also said his $1.7 trillion in tax cuts are spurring economic and job growth, disputed news reports that said he didn't complete his National Guard service in the 1970s, and said he won't change ``my philosophy or my point of view'' in response to criticism from Europeans.

Bush's appearance is an attempt to counter attacks from Kerry and other Democrats on Bush's war and economic policies, said Stuart Rothenberg, publisher of the Rothenberg Political Report. Bush's advisers ``decided they had to get the president in the ball game,'' Rothenberg said. ``I think he did OK.''

Beginning of Campaign

``Did he put to rest questions about his own military service and the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the loss of jobs in the economy? Absolutely not,'' Rothenberg said. ``But this is not the Super Bowl where you have one chance to win or lose. This is just the beginning.''

Calling himself ``a war president,'' Bush said his top priority is to protect the U.S. from terrorist attacks. ``I make decisions here in the Oval Office in foreign policy matters with war on my mind,'' he said.

Inaction in Iraq ``would have emboldened Saddam Hussein,'' Bush said. ``He could have developed a nuclear weapon over time.'' The U.S. eventually ``would have been in a position of blackmail.''

Bush said Hussein may have disposed of banned weapons before the U.S.-led coalition toppled his regime.

``I expected there to be stockpiles of weapons,'' Bush said. ``Saddam and his henchmen could have destroyed them as we entered into Iraq. They could be hidden. They could have been transported to another country, and we'll find out.''

Bin Laden

Bush said it is unclear whether the U.S. will capture Osama bin Laden, mastermind behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, before the November election. ``I have no idea whether we will capture or bring him to justice,'' Bush said. He wouldn't say whether the U.S. had a good idea of where bin Laden is hiding.

The president also said postwar Iraq won't be run by Islamic extremists. ``They're not going to develop that,'' Bush said. ``They want a constitution eventually written that recognizes minority rights and freedom of religion.''

Bush defended his decision to give his commission until March 2005 to report on the failure to find banned weapons in Iraq. ``We didn't want it to be hurried,'' he said.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has set a July deadline for a similar panel.

Central Intelligence Director George Tenet is ``ably'' leading the CIA and his job isn't in jeopardy, Bush said.

Taking a Risk

Bush took a risk in appearing on ``Meet the Press,'' said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia government professor. ``If he weren't concerned about this election he would never have been on any Sunday show,'' Sabato said. ``That's the last place you want to put an incumbent president if he's in good shape.''

Bush's approval rating is 48 percent, the lowest in three years, and 50 percent don't want him to be re-elected in November, a Feb. 5-6 Newsweek poll found.

While Bush's approval rating held steady at 54 percent in a Feb. 5-6 Time/CNN poll, 55 percent of those surveyed said they have some doubts about him and 44 percent said he's a leader they can trust.

During the first three years of Bush's presidency, 2.2 million jobs have been lost and the U.S. has gone from a $281 billion surplus to a projected $521 billion deficit.

``What those numbers show is the fact we have been through a lot,'' said Bush. He said the nation's unemployment rate declined to 5.6 percent in January. ``There is good momentum when it comes to the creation of new jobs,'' said Bush.

Bush said he is confident he will win re-election if Kerry, who's won nine of the 11 states where Democrats have chosen presidential candidates, captures the party's nomination.

``I have shown the American people I can sit here in the Oval Office when times are tough and be steady and make good decisions,'' Bush said on NBC.

He brushed aside criticism from Europeans. ``When you do hard things, when you ask hard things of people, it can create tensions,'' he said. ``I'm not going to change, see? I'm not trying to accommodate.''

The U.S. led last year's invasion of Iraq over the objections of France and Germany. Bush is now seeking help form those countries and the United Nations in helping Iraqis form a new government and rebuild their country.

``It's very helpful to have the stamp of the international community be placed upon the political process,'' Bush said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Heidi Przybyla in Washington at hprzybyla@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: February 8, 2004 16:49 EST