Bush Sees No Assurances Hostages to Be Freed Soon : He Doesn’t Rule Out Using Force

President Bush said today he cannot offer any assurances that American hostages held in the Middle East will be freed any time soon and said his Administration continues to look for “signs of change” from Iran.

“I think that if Iran decided they wanted those hostages to come out of there, there would be a good likelihood that that would happen, perhaps not with certainty but a good likelihood,” Bush said.

“We don’t have to be hostile with Iran for the rest of our lives,” he said. The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Iran a decade ago.

At a pre-vacation news conference at the White House, Bush was questioned repeatedly about the possibility of military action against those holding the hostages, and he replied that “at some point we have to stand up for our interests, even if it means military, yet I’m not threatening military action.”

Later, he added, “If I could find a way to take those hostages, get them, and bring them out and that required using the military force of the United States, make no mistake about it, I would do it in an instant.”

Noriega Trial

The President fielded questions for 30 minutes on subjects ranging from economic policy to drug abuse. On those topics, he:

--Refused to rule out kidnaping Panamanian leader Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega to bring him to trial on drug trafficking charges. “I have an obligation to try to bring people to justice,” he said.

--Promised to return from his vacation in Maine on Sept. 5 with a comprehensive plan to attack the “national menace” of drug abuse. He said his plan will include additional federal spending but will not require higher taxes.

--Said he wished the “legal process” could move along in the case of Felix Bloch, a State Department official suspected of espionage, “without a lot of hype.” Bloch has not been charged.

--Called on the Democrat-controlled Senate to act speedily on more than 100 high-level government appointments that await confirmation.

--Eulogized Reps. Mickey Leland and Larkin Smith, who died in recent days in separate plane crashes. He said the two were “fine individuals (who) represented a deep caring for the poor, the disadvantaged, the victims of drug abuse and crime and many other areas.”

Bush was questioned repeatedly about the hostages in the Middle East and the recent flurry of sensitive diplomatic efforts aimed at winning the release of the eight Americans held in captivity.

He noted conflicting signals emanating from Iran in recent weeks.

“We’re going to keep on trying, but I can’t give you a definitive assessment” of whether the hostages are any closer to freedom, Bush said.

“I just don’t know. There’s a lot of lines out there; a lot of initiatives have been taken,” he said.

Asked why he did not retaliate militarily after the murder of Lt. Col. William Higgins, Bush said the United States still did not have adequate information to take either a diplomatic or military response. The Pentagon still is not certain when or how Higgins died. On July 31, his captors released a videotape that showed him hanging from a makeshift gallows.

“I do not want to be responsible for the loss of innocent life,” Bush said.