http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/21/AR2006082100209.html?referrer=email
Bush Says Iraq Pullout Would Be 'A Disaster' President Acknowledges A Strain on U.S. 'Psyche' By Michael A. Fletcher and Glenn Kessler Washington Post Staff Writers Tuesday, August 22, 2006; Page A01 President Bush laid down an impassioned defense of his Iraq policy yesterday, saying the United States must stay in the fight despite an escalating death toll, increasing calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and growing public sentiment against the war. While acknowledging that raging sectarian violence and mounting U.S. casualties in Iraq are "straining the psyche of our country," Bush said that withdrawing U.S. troops before the nation is stabilized would be disastrous. "Leaving before the job would be done would send a message that America really is no longer engaged, nor cares about the form of governments in the Middle East," he said. "Leaving before the job was done would send a signal to our troops that the sacrifices they made were not worth it. Leaving before the job is done would be a disaster, and that's what we're saying." Resolute and at times exasperated during a 56-minute news conference, Bush cast the war in Iraq as part of a broader struggle against Islamic extremism that holds serious implications for the security of the United States. Bush's defense of his Iraq policy touched on familiar themes, but his passionate and lengthy plea to keep fighting was striking in light of the plummeting support for the war among the public and -- more worrisome for the White House -- among Republicans. 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 the campaigns leading to this fall's congressional elections, prompting some GOP candidates to avoid public appearances with the president. "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." Bush opened the news conference with an "urgent" plea for "an effective international force" to support the truce between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon -- an effort that is faltering because European countries, led by France, have been reluctant to contribute enough troops. A U.N. resolution calls for up to 15,000 troops, and Bush said that "the international community must now designate the leadership of this new international force, give it robust rules of engagement, and deploy it as quickly as possible to secure the peace." State Department officials said the effort to build the peacekeeping force is going slowly in part because the resolution has left unclear who is responsible for disarming Hezbollah. Bush seemed to back off his call for the militia to immediately give up its weapons, saying: "Hopefully, over time, Hezbollah will disarm." U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan strained over the weekend to persuade leaders from Finland, India, Italy and Spain to provide firmer commitments to serve in the U.N. mission. U.N. military planners had hoped that Italy would have made a firm commitment to send thousands of troops to Lebanon before the end of the month. Prime Minister Romano Prodi told Annan in a telephone conversation Sunday that he was still considering whether to provide a major military contribution. But he added that it would be easier to build public support for the risky mission if an Italian commander were to lead the force. The United Nations had intended to renew the contract of its mission's French commander, Alain Pellegrini, when it expires in February. But officials said Annan probably would yield to Prodi's request if he carries through on a pledge to send as many as 3,000 troops. At a closed-door meeting at the U.N. Security Council yesterday, a French official said France had supplied a vanguard force of 200 troops, but U.S. officials are pressing for France to provide significantly more. "I would hope they would put more troops in," Bush said. The United States has ruled out providing troops to the force, but Bush has offered logistical support, as well as command and control, communications and intelligence help. He also announced a $180 million increase in U.S. aid -- to $230 million -- in an effort to counter the millions of dollars that Hezbollah is distributing to rebuild housing and feed people in the areas of Lebanon devastated by Israeli attacks. Turning back to Iraq, Bush was adamant in arguing that the conflict is crucial to the broader battle against terrorism. "If you think it's bad now, imagine what Iraq would look like if the United States leaves before this government can defend itself and sustain itself," he said. Asked whether that would be true if the United States had not invaded Iraq, Bush responded: "Imagine a world in which Saddam Hussein was there, stirring up even more trouble in a part of the world that had so much resentment and so much hatred that people came and killed 3,000 of our citizens." And although Vice President Cheney repeatedly implied that an Iraqi intelligence agent met with a Sept. 11, 2001, hijacker five months before the attacks long after the story had been discredited, Bush said that "nobody has ever suggested that the attacks of September 11 were ordered by Iraq." "I have suggested, however, that resentment and the lack of hope create the breeding ground for terrorists," he added. Underscoring the difficult challenge posed by the situation in Iraq, 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." 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 F. Kerry (Mass.). Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) 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 as "wrong," adding that those calling for a withdrawal don't understand the consequences of leaving Iraq "before the job is done." "We'll complete the mission in Iraq," Bush added. "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." Staff writer Colum Lynch at the United Nations contributed to this report. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] *************************************************************************** Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia *************************************************************************** __________________________________________________________________________ Mohon Perhatian: 1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik) 2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari. 3. Reading only, http://dear.to/ppi 4. Satu email perhari: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 5. No-email/web only: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 6. kembali menerima email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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