
Troops to stay past Bush's term James Gerstenzang - Los Angeles Times \|\| March 24, 2006 WASHINGTON — President Bush said Tuesday that U.S. troops would remain in Iraq beyond his presidency, a message that could complicate his effort to reassure an increasingly skittish public that the military deployment is not open-ended. The complete withdrawal of U.S. troops "of course is an objective, and that will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq," Bush said at a White House news conference that was dominated by questions about Iraq. The president had not previously stated that the military role would continue beyond the end of his second term, Jan. 20, 2009, a White House spokesman said. It was the fourth consecutive day that Bush commented publicly about Iraq, a communications offensive that comes as public opinion polls show pessimism rising about the war there and the president's approval rating falling to new lows. "There will be more tough fighting ahead," Bush said. But, he said, "I'm optimistic we'll succeed. If not, I'd pull our troops out. If I didn't believe we had a plan for victory, I wouldn't leave our people in harm's way." The president also echoed statements by other administration officials that Iraq is not in a civil war despite the sectarian divisions between Shiite and Sunni Muslims that have grown increasingly violent. On Sunday, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, who has been an ally of Bush, said he believes Iraq is now in acivil war. Referring to the spasms of violence that shook Iraq after the Golden Mosque, a Shiite shrine in Samarra, was destroyed a month ago amid sectarian conflict, Bush said: "This is a moment where the Iraqis had a chance to fall apart, and they didn't. And that's a positive development." "The Iraqis took a look and decided not to go to civil war," he said, adding: "The army didn't bust up into sectarian divisions. The army stayed united." In addition, he said, religious leaders denounced violence, and political leaders representing different factions committed themselves to a unified government. The news conference was the president's second this year. He is scheduled to speak again on the fight against terrorism today during his trip to West Virginia. Bush turned nearly every question on Iraq on Tuesday into a megaphone for his latest message on the war — that he understands Americans' concerns about its progress and cost, but that it must be fought to deny terrorists an Iraqi base from which they could attack the United States. Bush also said that despite the violent images coming from Iraq, U.S. troops and Iraqi allies are succeeding against insurgents. Recent polls have shown that roughly 30 percent of those surveyed think the United States should immediately begin removing troops from Iraq, twice the percentage favoring a withdrawal two years ago and an indication of the political turmoil the war could cause for Bush's party in the November elections. Casey, the senior U.S. commander in Iraq, said on the television show "Fox News Sunday" that the number of troops would not drop below the current level of roughly 130,000 during the next few months, but that it would drop "over the course of 2006 and into 2007," based on conditions in Iraq. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com As difficult as a continued deployment may be for Bush's political allies in the congressional elections in November, an even greater worry for Republican strategists is the perception that Americans have of the prospect for success in Iraq. Frank Donatelli, a Republican political consultant, said in an e-mail exchange: "This ... perception will be key to how voters perceive our mission in Iraq. Remember, the public turned against Vietnam not because of the large troop commitment, but rather because they ultimately felt the war was unwinnable." The president acknowledged that the war had cost him some of the support he claimed after he was re-elected in 2004 — the political capital he might otherwise use to win congressional enactment of his domestic agenda. "I'm spending that capital on the war," he said. Bush acknowledged the scale of the mission. "I understand how tough it is — don't get me wrong," he said. "I hear it from our troops; I read the reports every night." The administration has stepped up its public criticism of what it sees as indications of an Iranian hand in fomenting violence in Iraq, and Bush emphasized that diplomatic contact with Iran should not be seen as a negotiation over Iraq. The president said he had given permission to Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, to make clear to Iran's representatives in Iraq "that attempts to spread sectarian violence," were "unacceptable." He also took issue with the premise of a question, posed by veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas, about why he launched the war in Iraq. "To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong," he said. Bush also said he would not replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, whom Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said should be fired. On other matters, the president said that, more than five years into his administration, he is "satisfied with the people I've surrounded myself with." But asked whether he was listening to advice that he add a veteran Washington hand to his staff, the president hinted at such a move. He said he was "listening to all suggestions" but that "I'm not going to announce it right now." About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Weekly Features Archive
In Depth What Is Wrong With Canada Recent 9-11 News Suppressed by the Media The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave Knowledge Driven Look at Your Favourite Canadian Political Parties
Archive January February March 2006 26 27 28 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 01 Weekly Features

Troops to stay past Bush's term

James Gerstenzang - Los Angeles Times || March 24, 2006

WASHINGTON — President Bush said Tuesday that U.S. troops would remain in Iraq beyond his presidency, a message that could complicate his effort to reassure an increasingly skittish public that the military deployment is not open-ended.

The complete withdrawal of U.S. troops "of course is an objective, and that will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq," Bush said at a White House news conference that was dominated by questions about Iraq. The president had not previously stated that the military role would continue beyond the end of his second term, Jan. 20, 2009, a White House spokesman said.

It was the fourth consecutive day that Bush commented publicly about Iraq, a communications offensive that comes as public opinion polls show pessimism rising about the war there and the president's approval rating falling to new lows.

"There will be more tough fighting ahead," Bush said. But, he said, "I'm optimistic we'll succeed. If not, I'd pull our troops out. If I didn't believe we had a plan for victory, I wouldn't leave our people in harm's way."

The president also echoed statements by other administration officials that Iraq is not in a civil war despite the sectarian divisions between Shiite and Sunni Muslims that have grown increasingly violent. On Sunday, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, who has been an ally of Bush, said he believes Iraq is now in acivil war.

Referring to the spasms of violence that shook Iraq after the Golden Mosque, a Shiite shrine in Samarra, was destroyed a month ago amid sectarian conflict, Bush said: "This is a moment where the Iraqis had a chance to fall apart, and they didn't. And that's a positive development."

"The Iraqis took a look and decided not to go to civil war," he said, adding: "The army didn't bust up into sectarian divisions. The army stayed united." In addition, he said, religious leaders denounced violence, and political leaders representing different factions committed themselves to a unified government.

The news conference was the president's second this year. He is scheduled to speak again on the fight against terrorism today during his trip to West Virginia.

Bush turned nearly every question on Iraq on Tuesday into a megaphone for his latest message on the war — that he understands Americans' concerns about its progress and cost, but that it must be fought to deny terrorists an Iraqi base from which they could attack the United States. Bush also said that despite the violent images coming from Iraq, U.S. troops and Iraqi allies are succeeding against insurgents.

Recent polls have shown that roughly 30 percent of those surveyed think the United States should immediately begin removing troops from Iraq, twice the percentage favoring a withdrawal two years ago and an indication of the political turmoil the war could cause for Bush's party in the November elections.

Casey, the senior U.S. commander in Iraq, said on the television show "Fox News Sunday" that the number of troops would not drop below the current level of roughly 130,000 during the next few months, but that it would drop "over the course of 2006 and into 2007," based on conditions in Iraq.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

As difficult as a continued deployment may be for Bush's political allies in the congressional elections in November, an even greater worry for Republican strategists is the perception that Americans have of the prospect for success in Iraq.

Frank Donatelli, a Republican political consultant, said in an e-mail exchange: "This ... perception will be key to how voters perceive our mission in Iraq. Remember, the public turned against Vietnam not because of the large troop commitment, but rather because they ultimately felt the war was unwinnable."

The president acknowledged that the war had cost him some of the support he claimed after he was re-elected in 2004 — the political capital he might otherwise use to win congressional enactment of his domestic agenda.

"I'm spending that capital on the war," he said.

Bush acknowledged the scale of the mission.

"I understand how tough it is — don't get me wrong," he said. "I hear it from our troops; I read the reports every night."

The administration has stepped up its public criticism of what it sees as indications of an Iranian hand in fomenting violence in Iraq, and Bush emphasized that diplomatic contact with Iran should not be seen as a negotiation over Iraq.

The president said he had given permission to Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, to make clear to Iran's representatives in Iraq "that attempts to spread sectarian violence," were "unacceptable."

He also took issue with the premise of a question, posed by veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas, about why he launched the war in Iraq.

"To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong," he said.

Bush also said he would not replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, whom Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said should be fired.

On other matters, the president said that, more than five years into his administration, he is "satisfied with the people I've surrounded myself with."

But asked whether he was listening to advice that he add a veteran Washington hand to his staff, the president hinted at such a move.

He said he was "listening to all suggestions" but that "I'm not going to announce it right now."