WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said Wednesday he will not be rushedinto a decision on "a new way forward in Iraq," but pledged that his new strategy will give troops there all the tools they need to "complete their mission."

Bush made remarks after a meeting with top Pentagon officials to hear their views as he seeks a new strategy for Iraq. He met with Vice President Dick Cheney, outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"I am listening to a lot of advice to develop a strategy to help you succeed, a lot of consultations," he said in a message meant for the troops serving in Iraq. "I will be delivering my plans after a long deliberation, after steady deliberation. I'm not going to be rushed into making a decision."

The president said he wanted incoming Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who will be sworn in Monday, "to have time to evaluate the situation" and come up with his own ideas on how to proceed in the "war that we now find ourselves in."

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