United States President George W Bush on Monday said the bombings at the Red Cross headquarters and four police stations across Baghdad that killed at least 42 people were carried out by terrorists who were 'desperate at the progress' made by his country in Iraq and vowed to 'bring the killers to justice'.

"The more progress we make on the ground, the more free the Iraqis become, the more electricity that's available, the more jobs are available, the more kids that are going to school, the more desperate these killers become," Bush told reporters at the White House.

Bush said those who are continuing to engage in violence 'can't stand the thought of a free society'. "They hate freedom. They love terror. They try to create fear and chaos," he said.

Ambassador Paul Bremer, the top US civilian official in Iraq and General Abizaid, head of the Central Command with responsibility for Iraq, and other military leaders had briefed the president and his national security team.