"We are not going to harness ourself to an artificial timetable," said Tony Snow, the White House spokesman.

"He has talked about artificial timetables to pull our troops out of Iraq," Mr. Bush said.

"We are not on any artificial timetable," said Treasury Secretary John W. Snow, when asked about the issue in a meeting with reporters last week.

A White House statement called that "an artificial timetable," while President Bush went further, characterizing it "an artificial deadline."

"While I am against setting artificial timetables, ultimately there is also a limit to our patience."

"There are no artificial timetables here," said a senior administration official.

"Many advocating an artificial timetable for withdrawing our troops are sincere, but I believe they're sincerely wrong," Mr. Bush said.

"An artificial timetable of withdrawal would say to an enemy, 'Just wait them out,' " he said.

Setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message to the Iraqis, who need to know that America will not leave before the job is done.

We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out.