Quote:

Under fire, Bush acknowledges tough going in Iraq

By Adam Entous
Mon Jun 20, 6:54 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush acknowledged on Monday the Iraq war was "tough" going but refused to back down from assertions that progress was being made despite Republican complaints about the administration's rosy optimism.

Bush's approval ratings have fallen to the lowest levels of his presidency in part because of growing pessimism about Iraq. Some prominent Republicans have openly questioned whether the administration's upbeat statements match events on the ground.

Asked if he agreed with Vice President Dick Cheney's assertion that the insurgency was in its "last throes," Bush replied that he understood "how dangerous it is there," adding: "I think about Iraq every day, every single day.

"And the report from the field is that while it's tough, more and more Iraqis are becoming battle-hardened and trained to defend themselves. And that's exactly the strategy that's going to work. And we will, we will complete this mission," Bush told a joint news conference with European Union leaders.

Lawmakers have also questioned administration assertions about the number of Iraqi troops that have been trained. Sen. John McCain an Arizona Republican, predicted on Sunday that it will be "at least" two years before U.S. troops can pull out.

"Too often we've been told and the American people have been told that we're at a turning point," said McCain, who described Cheney's characterization as inaccurate.

Another top Republican, Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, was quoted by U.S. News and World Report as saying the White House was "disconnected from reality" in its optimism over the war.

"Things aren't getting better; they're getting worse... It's like they're just making it up as they go along. The reality is that we're losing in Iraq," Hagel said.

Bush said he spoke to Army Gen. John Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command, on Monday, and will talk to Gen. George Casey, top U.S. commander in Iraq, this week to get "an assessment as to how we're proceeding."

"We're making progress toward the goal, which is, on the one hand, a political process moving forward in Iraq, and on the other hand, the Iraqis capable of defending themselves," Bush said.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush's views were based on assessments from military commanders on the ground. He defended Cheney's "last throes" comment, saying he was referring to the "great progress made in going after the al Qaeda network in Iraq."

Bush has begun shifting more of his focus to Iraq to try to shore up support for the war and his personal standing.

He will host Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari at the White House on June 24 and deliver a speech about Iraq on June 28 to mark the first anniversary since the transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis from a U.S.-led coalition.

Fifty-one percent of Americans believe the United States should have stayed out of Iraq, according to a New York Times/CBS poll published on Friday.



If senior Republicans make the same assertions I do, does that make THEM antiAmerican liberals?

Quote:

06/20/05
Iraqi Lawmakers Call for Foreign Troops to Withdraw
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BAGHDAD

Iraqi lawmakers from across the political spectrum called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from their country in a letter released to the media June 19.

The move comes as U.S. President George W. Bush is under increasing domestic pressure to set a timetable for the pullout of American forces in the face of an increasing death toll at the hands of insurgents.

Eighty-two Shiite, Kurdish, Sunni Arab, Christian and communist deputies made the call in a letter sent by Falah Hassan Shanshal of the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), the largest group in parliament, to speaker Hajem al-Hassani.

Some of those who signed urged that a detailed timetable be established for the withdrawal.

There are currently about 160,000 foreign troops in Iraq, including a 138,000-strong U.S. force, which has borne the brunt of attacks against coalition forces.

In the letter, Shanshal said the 275-member parliament was the Iraqi people’s legitimate representative and guardian of their interests.

”We have asked in several sessions for occupation troops to withdraw,” the letter said. “Our request was ignored.”

”It is dangerous that the Iraqi government has asked the U.N. Security Council to prolong the stay of occupation forces without consulting representatives of the people who have the mandate for such a decision.

”Therefore we must reject the occupation’s legitimacy and renew our demand for these forces to withdraw,” the letter added.

The U.N. Security Council agreed on May 31 to extend the mandate of multinational forces in Iraq “until the completion of the political process” following a request from the Iraqi government.

”Iraqi security forces have managed to break the back of terrorist groups and maintain security in the streets of Iraq, and have gained the trust of Iraqi citizens to arrive at their final goal, total sovereignty for Iraq.”







Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else. --Will Rogers "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees." - George W. Bush I don't think anybody could have predicted that these people would .. try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane as a missile. - Condoleeza Rice Barbara Bush: It's Good Enough for the Poor To comfort the powerless and make the powerful uncomfortable.