WASHINGTON — President Bush on Wednesday challenged militants who have been killing and injuring U.S. forces in Iraq, saying “go ahead, I dare you” because American forces were strong enough to deal with the attacks.

“There are some who feel like that conditions are such that they can attack us there,” Bush told reporters at the White House. “My answer would be to go ahead, I dare you. I double-dog dare ya. Try it. Think I’m scared? Don’t make me laugh. I dare you to do it.”

While there’s been no official word yet from the Iraqi militants on how they plan to respond to Bush’s dare, new reports say that it will either be a car-bomb, rocket-launcher, or general ambush against American forces.

Troops in the field were overjoyed with the President’s statements. Most U.S. soldiers, who are nearing mission-fatigue and are in desperate need of supplies, felt that the President’s words were carefully chosen and should have an immediate effect on their safety in Iraq.

“This is exactly why George W. Bush is the best Commander-in-Chief we’ve ever had,” Capt. Peter Johnson of A Company, 3rd Battalion said. “It may seem like he’s encouraging the guerrillas to keep attacking us, but he’s actually telling them not to attack us… in a subtle, Dirty Harry kind of way.”