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Bush raises possibility of years-long Iraq presence Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:07 PM GMT By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush held out the possibility on Tuesday of a U.S. troop presence in Iraq for many years, saying a full withdrawal would depend on decisions by future U.S. presidents and Iraqi governments.
Bush, struggling to rebound from low job approval ratings that he blamed largely on the war, was asked at a news conference if there would come a time when no U.S. troops are in Iraq.
"That, of course, is an objective. And that will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq," said Bush, who will be president until January 2009.
Three years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, there are 133,000 U.S. troops in the country.
Bush has laid the groundwork for possible U.S. troop reductions by the end of the year, saying he aims to get Iraqi forces sufficiently trained to take over by then.
But until now he had not given a prediction on how long there might be an American presence. Many Arabs are concerned that the United States might want a permanent presence in Iraq, and those concerns were likely to be heightened by Bush's comments.
Opinion polls show Americans have become increasingly dissatisfied over a war in which more than 2,300 U.S. troops have died. Democrats have seized on this in a congressional election year to criticise the Republican president's handling of the war.
Appearing for nearly an hour at his second formal solo news conference of the year, Bush mixed his prognosis of progress in Iraq with a realistic description of events, reflecting a recent White House pattern of admitting mistakes have been made in the war.
He acknowledged errors in the Iraqi reconstruction effort had cost valuable time in rebuilding and said the U.S. military was adjusting to insurgent tactics.
But he insisted that his bedrock belief remained that Iraq can become a beacon of democracy in the Middle East.
"I'm optimistic we'll succeed," he said. "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."
Bush said insurgent attacks that have killed hundreds of Iraqis in recent weeks were designed in part by the attackers to create horrific images for U.S. television screens and generate doubts about the mission among Americans.
"Please don't take that as criticism," Bush told reporters. "But it also is a realistic assessment of the enemy's capability to affect the debate, and they know that."
Bush also said he disagreed with those who said Iraq had fallen into a civil war.
Asked whether he agreed with former Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's comments that Iraq was already in civil war, Bush said: "I do not, there are other voices coming out of Iraq."
"We all recognise that there is violence, that there is sectarian violence," Bush said. "The way I look at it the Iraqis took a look and decided not to give in to civil war."
A Newsweek magazine poll conducted last week showed Bush's approval rating fell to 36 percent, down 21 points from a year ago, amid discontent about Iraq. The survey said 65 percent of Americans were dissatisfied with Bush's handling of the war.
"I fully understand the consequences of this war. I understand people's lives are being lost," Bush said.
"But I also understand the consequences of not achieving our objective by leaving too early. Iraq would become a place of instability, a place from which the enemy can plot, plan and attack," he added.
-------------------- It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious. Posts: 3311 | From: St. Louis | Registered: Feb 2005
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In the midst of a civil war and they consider that improvement? I really need to find out where these guys are buying their rose colored glasses and get me a pair. Wonder if it's the same place where they buy the kool-aid?
Cheney says Iraq situation is improving SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AP) Vice President Dick Cheney asserted Tuesday that the situation in Iraq is continually getting better, while acknowledging misgivings many Americans have about the administration's war strategy.
"Progress has not come easily but it has been steady and we can be confident going forward," said the vice president, according to his remarks prepared for delivery before an enthusiastic military crowd.
Cheney's appearance here was one piece of a broad administration push to counter polls that show waning public support for the war and President Bush by highlighting what the administration says is underreported evidence of improvement. Cheney spoke not long after Bush held a White House news conference in part to defend his Iraq record. The president has been delivering a series of speeches devoted to the topic. (Related: Bush addresses the press)
With the war in Iraq now in its fourth year, more than 2,300 Americans have died.
Difficult negotiations are ongoing between squabbling Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish blocks in Iraq's new parliament over how to replace the current caretaker government with a broad-based national government representing all of Iraq's communities. The talks are deadlocked over how to apportion the most powerful jobs.
And a wave of sectarian violence that has followed the bombing last month of a Shiite Muslim shrine continues. On Monday alone, 39 people were reported killed by insurgents and shadowy sectarian gangs.
Despite the weeks of reprisal killings that have some saying Iraq is at the brink of civil war, Cheney credited American troops and U.S.-trained Iraqi forces with "maintaining public order" following the Feb. 22 bombing of the famed golden dome atop the Shiite Askariya shrine in Samarra.
He conceded: "There is no doubt that the situation in Iraq is still tense."
But he cited the skills of U.S. soldiers, the desire of Iraqis to be free, and strides in training Iraqi security forces as reasons to be heartened about Iraq now and in the future.
"At times you may wonder if your fellow citizens truly realize the extent of your achievements," Cheney said. "I want you to know that Americans do realize it and we do not take our military for granted."
Cheney stopped at the headquarters of the U.S. Transportation Command here to thank its personnel for role they play in Iraq, the war on terror and military humanitarian missions, such as evacuations of Hurricane Katrina survivors and assistance to victims of an earthquake in Pakistan. TRANSCOM manages all transportation of wounded troops, supplies, equipment and other cargo for the U.S. military.
While Cheney received a private briefing from command officials, a live band warmed up about 3,000 troops and family members gathered in a chilly hangar before a stage bedecked with flags and camouflage netting.
The vice president also defended the warrantless eavesdropping program that Bush authorized after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
"There are no communications more important to the safety of the United States than those related to al-Qaeda that have one end in the United States," he said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
-------------------- It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious. Posts: 3311 | From: St. Louis | Registered: Feb 2005
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I just cant handle these guys...everyday is another series of frustrations. Party backing no matter what...they will NEVER admit to any misjudgements or wrongdoings. Honesty,integrity. and politics just dont mix in this society. I dont see much change no matter who is in charge either...just more of the same...the big boys have their own agenda and it doesnt much matter what us pawns say or do.. same ol same ol...I'm totally disgusted with the way this country has become...I've given up...I'm moving out of this country and goin incognito.. 9 more months and I'm gone dammit! They wont have Jordan to kick around anymore!!
-------------------- jordan Posts: 5812 | From: st paul,mn | Registered: Feb 2004
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"Topic: Bush raises possibility of years-long Iraq presence"
Possibility hell, he flat out stated that he would not move the troups out and the US troups would be in Iraq for the "next" Administration to decide what to do with and about.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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The great Prevaricator also claimed neither he nor anyone in his administration had ever said that Saddam was involved in 9/11 or connected to Al Kaeda. Since then, one network program after another has been replaying tapes, made before and after the invasion of Iraq, of him and others in the Administration people doing exactly that.
They work on the old principle of, "if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it".
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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Of course Iraq will be years yet and who knows where it will lead. As far as Bush goes his out right distortion of the truth is some thing to watch. And it tells me that if 30% or more believe it think it and breath it is scary I can see now how the facist gained power and kept it in Eourpe. Just think if there was a TV. in everybodies home then we might all be goose stepping today. What mind control. I hope that we can survive this assault on our rights. Our civil liberties, laws, our rights have always won in the past but nobody in our history has ever ,in America, convinced so many that we have to take them away for our own good and protection. And the American people just take it like a bunch of hogs going to the slaughterhouse. Think of that as we are talking about the peoples of the world that don't want freedom we say because they won't fight for it. Then listen to your kool-aide drinking neighbor that thinks the patriot act is a good thing in the time of terrorist who have never done anything since 9/11 in this country. A kool-aide drinker response is see how good its working aren't we lucky
Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005
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Bush got confused when he was asked why we invaded Iraq...he started off by saying the Taliban was there.....
Q I'd like to ask you, Mr. President, your decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis, wounds of Americans and Iraqis for a lifetime. Every reason given, publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is, why did you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House, from your Cabinet -- your Cabinet officers, intelligence people, and so forth -- what was your real reason? You have said it wasn't oil -- quest for oil, it hasn't been Israel, or anything else. What was it?
THE PRESIDENT: I think your premise -- in all due respect to your question and to you as a lifelong journalist -- is that -- I didn't want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong, Helen, in all due respect --
Q Everything --
THE PRESIDENT: Hold on for a second, please.
Q -- everything I've heard --
THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me, excuse me. No President wants war. Everything you may have heard is that, but it's just simply not true. My attitude about the defense of this country changed on September the 11th. We -- when we got attacked, I vowed then and there to use every asset at my disposal to protect the American people. Our foreign policy changed on that day, Helen. You know, we used to think we were secure because of oceans and previous diplomacy. But we realized on September the 11th, 2001, that killers could destroy innocent life. And I'm never going to forget it. And I'm never going to forget the vow I made to the American people that we will do everything in our power to protect our people.
Part of that meant to make sure that we didn't allow people to provide safe haven to an enemy. And that's why I went into Iraq -- hold on for a second --
Q They didn't do anything to you, or to our country.
THE PRESIDENT: Look -- excuse me for a second, please. Excuse me for a second. They did. The Taliban provided safe haven for al Qaeda. That's where al Qaeda trained --
Q I'm talking about Iraq --
THE PRESIDENT: Helen, excuse me. That's where -- Afghanistan provided safe haven for al Qaeda. That's where they trained. That's where they plotted. That's where they planned the attacks that killed thousands of innocent Americans.
I also saw a threat in Iraq. I was hoping to solve this problem diplomatically. That's why I went to the Security Council; that's why it was important to pass 1441, which was unanimously passed. And the world said, disarm, disclose, or face serious consequences --
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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I have read numerous articles on GB and Harken Oil which I feel are actual accountings from 1986 or earlier of the Bush family envolvement with BinLaden family. They may be a bit distorted, or not accurate, however several different reporters say pretty much the same thing. I went to Google Search on AOL, typed in Harken Oil and came up with quite a few renditions...interesting....
Posts: 216 | From: Florida | Registered: Feb 2005
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And I want to thank you very much for saying what you said. I am -- as I said, I'm Educator-in-Chief, and I'm going to spend a lot of time answering questions and just explaining -- explaining to people as clearly as I can about why I made decisions I made and why it is important for us to succeed.
Educator-in-Chief??? omygod i didn't know just how bad-off we really are...
But also my thinking is based upon some universal values and my belief that history can repeat itself, and that freedom and liberty has a chance to lay a foundation of peace so that maybe 40 years from now, somebody is speaking here in West Virginia saying, you know, a bunch of folks were given a challenge and a task, and that generation didn't lose faith in the capacity of freedom to change, and today, I'm able to sit down with the duly elected leaders of democracy in the Middle East, keeping the peace for the next generation to come. (Applause.)
what is 40 years at 5 Billion $ per month?
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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sounds like so much double -talk,rhetoric,and cliches'.He makes me want to puke...i just cant stand this moron. I'm not very bright but compared to this guy I'm a mental giant!...He's a broken record!
-------------------- jordan Posts: 5812 | From: st paul,mn | Registered: Feb 2004
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No, he's just a cheap half-wit crook and always has been.
Follow the money.
Everything he has done as president and as Texas Governor before was designed as a means of transfering funds from governmental storage into the various businesses controlled by the Bush family.
Interesting facts:
(1) When dubya became Governor of Texas he took over with the State Treasury holding the greatest surpluses that any state had ever held. When he resigned to become President, the Tresuary of the State of Texas owed the gretest debt it ever had.
(2) When Dubya became President he inherited the greatest financial surplus that the Country has ever known. I don't need to go on, do I?
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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After listening to his press conference and pretty much holding back my opinion. Until I was certain that others saw and heard what I did. And this was not pure emotion that was driving my opinion. I have came to a single and simple decision..
GOD HELP US WE ARE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE ALMOST THREE MORE YEARS AND WE ARE STUCK ON A RUNAWAY SHIP.
Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005
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After listening to his last press release I don't know how long the troops will be in Iraq because it sounds like our president does not know which country our troops are in. God help us
Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005
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He sounds like he's back in his little rich boys ultra expensive and ultra private only-white-boys-with-super-rich-daddies-and-blood-relations-to-extremely-rich-New-England-old-family-money highschool standing on the field behind the bench in his cheer leader outfit late in the second half with the score 45 - 0 and the bad guys about to score again for the other team rythmically chanting to the crowd, "HOLD THAT LINE, HOLD THAT LINE, HOLD THAT LINE, HOLD THAT LINE, HOLD THAT LINE, HOLD THAT LINE......" and believing cheer leaders are "part" of the team in the game.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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I wish that Bush Jr. would just come out of the closet and get it all over with then he could devote more time to being President
Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005
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