Washington - American President George Bush has taken responsibility for any failures in the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.

And on Tuesday he also acknowledged that the storm exposed serious deficiencies at all levels of government four years after the September 11 attacks.

"To the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility," Bush told a White House news conference at which he openly questioned US preparedness for another storm or a "severe attack".

With him was Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

'Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability'

Bush's rare admission of "serious problems in our response capability" came as the White House stepped up efforts to repair his public standing. He is scheduled to talk to the nation on Thursday night from hard-hit Louisiana, his fourth visit to the disaster zone since Katrina struck.

White House spokesperson Scott McClellan said Bush would use the address to "talk to the American people about the recovery and the way forward on the longer-term rebuilding".

The president's approval ratings have hit new lows, partly due to fierce criticism of the slow response to the hurricane, which killed hundreds and displaced a million people in the worst natural disaster in US history.

Almost 54 percent of Americans disapprove of Bush's handling of the response, but 57 percent say state and local officials should bear responsibility for the problems, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC poll.

Asked if Americans should worry that the government remains unprepared to respond to another major disaster or a terrorist attack, Bush said: "Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government."

He himself raised questions about preparedness, after four years of record spending on domestic security.

"Are we capable of dealing with a severe attack or another severe storm? That's a very important question and it's in our national interest that we find out exactly what went on so we can better respond," he said.

On Monday, Michael Brown resigned as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and several Republican senators have urged Bush to appoint a top official to lead the long-term recovery. White House officials say that is among options being discussed.

Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former secretary of state Colin Powell as well as retired General Tommy Franks, former head of US Central Command, have been mentioned for the job. - Reuters

• This article was originally published on page 4 of The Star on September 14, 2005