President George W. Bush says the military must continue the fight in Iraq because success there would be as fruitful for United States as much as it would be for Iraq. And because of marked improvements on the ground, he said, 5, 700 soldiers will begin coming home by Christmas.
Amid public dissatisfaction of the war in national polls, the president addressed the nation in a 17-minute, primetime television address Thursday evening presenting his course for continuing the war and announced the beginning of a reduction in troops.
"The success of a free Iraq is critical to the security of the United States," he said, in his eighth primetime address concerning Iraq. "A free Iraq will deny al-Qaida a safe haven. A free Iraq will counter the destructive ambitions of Iran. A free Iraq will marginalize extremists, unleash the talent of its people, and be an anchor of stability in the region."
He cited the situation in Anbar Province, located west of Baghdad, as a rubric of improvement that can be applied throughout other trouble parts of Iraq.
"Last year, an intelligence report concluded that Anbar had been lost to al- Qaida. Some cited this as evidence that we had failed in Iraq and should cut our losses and pull out," Bush said. "Instead, we kept the pressure on the terrorists."
Because of an additional 4,000 marines sent to the region, he said, religious leaders, Iraqi forces and American forces collaborated and purged insurgents from the province in addition to changing the alliances of the people. "Young Sunnis who once joined the insurgency are now joining the army and police … new jobs are being created and local governments are meeting again," he said.
That rubric established in Anbar is already working against the violence in Baghdad, Bush added.
"Realizing this vision will be difficult, but it is achievable," Bush said. "Our military commanders believe we can succeed. Our diplomats believe we can succeed. And for the safety of future generations of Americans, we must succeed."
The White House ceded some of the difficulties. In a report on the successes of 18 political and security benchmarks set for Iraq, the conclusion was that only one benchmark was met - efforts to let former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party rejoin the political process, senior administration officials told the Associated Press.
Also, Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, a Sunni leader who worked with the military in Anbar to revolt against al-Qaida influence, was assassinated and the casualty count reached 3,777 Thursday.
Sen. Jack Reed, D-RI, provided the Democratic Party's response, saying the president made the case for an unlimited military presence in Iraq.
"Once again, the president failed to provide either a plan to successfully end the war or a convincing rationale to continue it," Reed said.
Though the president claims Iraq is a vital front in the war against terror, Reed contends the war there has taken resources from hunting al-Qaida and locating its leader Osama bin Laden - thus, weakening the security of the United States.
"I opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning," he said. "It was a flawed strategy that diverted attention and resources away from hunting down Osama bin Laden's terrorist network."
He added: "Hundreds of billions have been spent. Our military is strained. Over 27,000 Americans have been wounded, and over 3,700 of our best and brightest have been killed."
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the president provided only a continuation of the current policy. "Tonight, President Bush outlined a status quo strategy that leaves at least 130,000 American soldiers in harm's way as a part of a 10-year occupation of Iraq," she said, in statement responding to the president.
Democratic Presidential Candidate John Edwards said the president is continuing to push the same strategy: "more time, more troops and more war."
He said the president must recognize there is a clear difference between the War on Terror and the war in Iraq.
"The question of Iraq is separate from the question of Sept. 11, and always has been," Edwards said, responding to the president in a two-minute, paid spot on cable outlet MSNBC. "Likewise, supporting our troops and pursuing a failed war are not the same thing."
He added that Congress has to answer to the American people as much as the president does.
"Tell Congress you know the truth - they have the power to end this war and you expect them to use it," he said. "When the president asks for more money and more time, Congress needs to tell him he only gets one choice: a firm time line for withdrawal."
Edwards, who formerly served as the Democratic senator from North Carolina, initially voted for the war in Iraq in 2003. Though, he has since said he regrets that decision.
House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, who visited Iraq this week, told CNN that the military is forging progress - but such advances must be solidified.
"We're making success," Boehner said Wednesday in an interview with Wolf Blitzer. "We need to firm up those successes. We need to continue our efforts here because … long term, the investment that we're making today will be a small price if we're able to stop al-Qaida here, if we're able to stabilize the Middle East, it's not only going to be a small price for the near future, but think about the future for our kids and their kids."
Bush said the withdrawal of 5,700 soldiers by December creates an opportunity for those on both sides of the war to assemble.
"The way forward I have described tonight makes it possible, for the first time in years, for people who have been on opposite sides of this difficult debate to come together," he said.
He added that, even with the sizable and vocal dissent of his policy, the war is striking a resonant and necessary blow to terrorists.
"Some say the gains we are making in Iraq come too late," Bush said. "They are mistaken. It is never too late to deal a blow to al-Qaida. It is never too late to advance freedom. And it is never to late to support our troops in a fight they can win."
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