posted August 22, 2006 11:43 AM            

By Seattle Times news services

WASHINGTON — President Bush offered an impassioned defense of his Iraq policy Monday, saying the United States must stay in the fight, even as support for the war plummets among the public and — more worrisome for the White House — among Republicans.

While acknowledging that raging sectarian violence and mounting U.S. casualties in Iraq are "straining the psyche of our country," Bush said: "We're not leaving so long as I'm the president."

"Leaving before the job was done would send a signal to our troops that the sacrifices they made were not worth it," he said. "Leaving before the job is done would be a disaster, and that's what we're saying."

Bush was resolute and at times exasperated during the 56-minute news conference. It was his third extended question-and-answer session with reporters in as many weeks, underscoring GOP strategists' hopes that even a president plagued by low approval ratings can use his office to spread a message designed to help the party's candidates.

"You know, it's an interesting debate we're having in America about how to handle Iraq," Bush said. "There's a lot of people — good, decent people — saying 'Withdraw now.' They're absolutely wrong. It would be a huge mistake for this country."

Many Democrats, and some Republicans, have called for a fixed timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Also, an increasing number of conservative commentators who once agitated for the invasion are now critical of Bush's handling of the war. Iraq has become the central issue in campaigns leading to this fall's congressional elections, prompting some GOP candidates to avoid public appearances with the president.

Bush said fellow Republicans could win by stressing his assertion that the fight against terrorism "is a global war" and not simply a matter of "law enforcement."

Now in its fourth year, the war has taken a heavy toll: More than 2,600 Americans have died and many more Iraqis have been killed. Last month alone, about 3,500 Iraqis died violently, the highest monthly civilian toll so far.

Bush's approval rating recently slumped to the lowest point of his presidency when surveys put it in the mid- to high 30-percentile range. More recently, a USA Today/Gallup Poll taken after the arrest in Britain of suspects in an alleged airline terror plot put his approval rating at 42 percent, but several polls show a majority of Americans believe the war in Iraq was a mistake, and Republicans are concerned that they could lose control of Congress because of voters' unhappiness.

Bush's news conference came one day after Sunni Arab gunmen killed 20 religious pilgrims and wounded 300 others who had gathered in Baghdad for a Shiite holiday. The deaths occurred during a period when more than 100 Iraqis a day have been killed by the sectarian violence that some say is bordering on civil war.

"I hear a lot of talk about civil war. I'm concerned about that, of course, and I've talked to a lot of people about it. And what I've found from my talks are that the Iraqis want a unified country," Bush said. "And that the Iraqi leadership is determined to thwart the efforts of the extremists and the radicals."

He rejected suggestions that U.S. involvement in Iraq and other attempts to forge democracy in the Middle East only create more violence. Bush called that a "stir-up-the-hornet's-nest theory" that "just doesn't hold water."

"The terrorists attacked us and killed 3,000 of our citizens before we started the freedom agenda in the Middle East," Bush said.

Asked what Iraq had to do with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Bush said: "Nothing." But the attacks, he said, taught him to deal with threats such as Saddam Hussein before they fully materialize.

"I fully believe it was the right decision to remove Saddam Hussein," Bush said. "Now the question is, how do we succeed in Iraq?"

Several prominent Democrats rejected Bush's call for staying the course in Iraq, saying the problem there is not a lack of will but lack of a winning strategy.

"We need to set a date to force Iraqis to stand up for Iraq, force the administration to finally do the diplomacy necessary to find the political solution our generals say is needed," said Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada also called for Bush to change direction. "President Bush is wrong to say that success in Iraq is a question of resolve," he said. "Instead, it is a question of strategy."

Bush dismissed such critics.

"We'll complete the mission in Iraq," he said. "I can't tell you exactly when it's going to be done, but I do know that it's important for us to support the Iraqi people, who have shown incredible courage in their desire to live in a free society. And if we ever give up the desire to help people who live in freedom, we will have lost our soul as a nation, as far as I'm concerned."

Bush was asked about Vice President Dick Cheney's suggestion that the defeat of Sen. Joe Lieberman in Connecticut's Democratic primary by an anti-war opponent will embolden al-Qaida forces hoping to "break the will of the American people."

"What all of us in this administration have been saying is that leaving Iraq before the mission is complete will send the wrong message to the enemy and will create a more dangerous world," Bush said.

"I will never question the patriotism of somebody who disagrees with me," he added.

The president acknowledged frustration about continuing violence in Iraq.

"Frustrated? Sometimes I'm frustrated," Bush said. "Sometimes I'm happy. ... But war is not a time of joy. These aren't joyous times. These are challenging times, and they're difficult times, and they're straining the psyche of our country."

And he voiced a sense of resignation about his own standing in the polls.

"Presidents care about whether people support their policies," he said. "But I understand why people are discouraged about Iraq. ... I'm going to do what I think is right. And if people don't like me for it, that's just the way it is."

Compiled from The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, McClatchy Newspapers and USA Today
_________________________________________

Took him a few years to get there, but at least he can acknowledge that Iraq didn't have anything to do with 9/11.

posted August 23, 2006 08:01 PM              

quote:

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"Leaving before the job was done would send a signal to our troops that the sacrifices they made were not worth it," he said. "Leaving before the job is done would be a disaster, and that's what we're saying."

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That's the same old song and dance that Lyndon Johnson held onto for so long regarding the Viet Nam war. Only then it was communism we were fighting. The thing is even though public opinion ended the Viet Nam war and we pulled our troops out of there communism eventually fell without even a skirmish. Think about that. Think about the magnitude of that message.

War mongers, or those who believe that war is the only solution for world problems, say that Viet Nam was a loss because we pulled out without finishing the job. Yet communism fell. I think that Viet Nam was a victory for democracy and may have been one of the reasons- if not THE reason - that communism in Russia did eventually fall and the Berlin wall came down. People all over the world saw first hand what democracy meant. They saw that the people in the U.S. really did have a voice and that we could determine government policies with that voice, even regarding war.

posted August 29, 2006 11:59 PM            

That's right acoustic...and that's exactly what Bush has said from the very beginning.

posted August 30, 2006 12:54 AM              

[[Page 116 STAT. 1498]]

Public Law 107-243
107th Congress

Joint Resolution

To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against
Iraq. <<NOTE: Oct. 16, 2002 - [H.J. Res. 114]>>

Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for
attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including
the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in
Iraq;

Whereas the attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001,
underscored the gravity of the threat posed by the acquisition of
weapons of mass destruction by international terrorist
organizations;

Whereas on September 12, 2002, President Bush committed the United
States to ``work with the United Nations Security Council to meet
our common challenge'' posed by Iraq

Whereas Congress has taken steps to pursue vigorously the war on
terrorism through the provision of authorities and funding requested
by the President to take the necessary actions against international
terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations,
organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or
aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or
harbored such persons or organizations;

Whereas the President and Congress are determined to continue to take
all appropriate actions against international terrorists and
terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or
persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist
attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such
persons or organizations;

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) Authorization.--The President is authorized to use the Armed
Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and
appropriate in order to--
(1) defend the national security of the United States
against the continuing threat posed by Iraq;

(b) Presidential Determination.--In connection with the exercise of
the authority granted in subsection (a) to use force the President
shall, prior to such exercise or as soon thereafter as may be feasible,
but no later than 48 hours after exercising such authority, make
available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that--

(2) acting pursuant to this joint resolution is consistent
with the United States and other countries continuing to take
the necessary actions against international terrorist and
terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations,
or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the
terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

posted August 30, 2006 01:04 AM            

quote:

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continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorist and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the
terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

---

in·clude
tr.v. in·clud·ed, in·clud·ing, in·cludes

1. To take in as a part, element, or member.
2. To contain as a secondary or subordinate element.
3. To consider with or place into a group, class, or total:

posted August 30, 2006 01:37 AM            

Notice, a year later...al-Qaeda is known to be in Iraq...after they were run out of Afghanistan.

Sheltering terrorists is a reason for attacking Iraq.

Bush did not say and has never said Iraq/Saddam collaborated with al-Qaeda in the 9/11 attack.

Whatever I may say and whatever lioneye may say has nothing whatsoever to do with what Bush didn't say and Bush never said Iraq was part of the 9/11 WTC attack.

posted August 30, 2006 01:39 AM              

quote:

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(in addition to all the horredous **** he did to his people...can anyone say "Halabja"?--isis

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"let me try...."

"hell-of-a-job-ja....."

*****

Halabja: How Bush Sr. Continued to Support Saddam After the 1988 Gassing of Thousands And Bush Jr. Used it As a Pretext For War 15 Years Later

posted August 30, 2006 02:43 AM            

Remember when I said this:

quote:

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I'll be fair.

Provide information directly from our government that supports any of what you've claimed, and maybe I'll start to consider what you've said to be true. Otherwise, I'll remain a skeptic. http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/002223-2.html

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That's from the page where you attempted to link Saddam to Al Qaeda. Remember?

So whose credibility do we call into question, yours or the President's? ... or is that passe now?

What's that? This [thread] is about 9/11, but that [thread] was only about Saddam working with Al Qaeda? Well, if he worked with them, would it make sense that he had nothing to do with 9/11? Either there's something there or there isn't. Bush says there isn't.