Bush Again Rejects Calls for a Withdrawal Timetable in Iraq

Bush Again Rejects Calls for a Withdrawal Timetable in Iraq:
November 30, 2005
By Christine Hauser

President Bush today laid out what he called a strategy for victory in Iraq, saying that American troops will not be withdrawn in response to "artificial timetables set by politicians in Washington" but will remain deployed there until Iraqi forces can effectively take over.

Mr. Bush's address at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., broadly repeated the aims of the Iraq war as set out in 2003. But in the speech, the first of four he plans to give before the Dec. 15 elections in Iraq, he appeared to be refashioning the scenarios for the role of American troops as they hand over more responsibility to Iraqis in the war against the insurgency. The ability of Iraqi forces to take over their own security has become a key issue in recent debate in Washington over the length of the American mission.

Mr. Bush said that Iraqi troop training was a central pillar of his administration's strategy, and that now was the time for the American public to be aware of its goals. During his speech, Mr. Bush referred to a document that had been released earlier this morning on the White House Web site called the "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq."

The 35-page document emphasizes that the Iraq war will not be won on a timetable, and it also notes the broader consequences of a failed effort in Iraq. Tribal and sectarian chaos would result and Middle East reformers would no longer trust American assurances of support for democracy and human rights, according to the document. The White House had said that the strategy to be outlined today by Mr. Bush was not new, but that it had never been assembled into a single unclassified document like the one issued today.

And as it has many times in the past, the administration cast the war in Iraq as part of the frontline of the war on terror and on terrorist leaders like Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, according to the document's overview of the American strategy.

Mr. Bush's speech today was meant to rally the troops and the American public as the war in Iraq approaches its third anniversary, in March. More than 2,000 American troops have been killed since the hostilities started.

Mr. Bush said he would settle for nothing less than complete victory, while trying to define what that would mean in a country where the insurgency has sowed mayhem with suicide attackers, roadside and car bombs, and assassinations.

While acknowledging that the American public at this time wanted troops to both win in Iraq and to return home as soon as possible. Mr. Bush stressed that victory would not be defined in the conventional way, as with the surrender of Japan in World War Two.

"In Iraq there will not be a signing ceremony on the deck of a battleship," Mr. Bush said. "Victory will come when the terrorists and Saddamists can no longer threaten Iraq's democracy. When the Iraqi security forces can provide for the safety of their own citizens. And when Iraq is not a safe haven for terrorists to plot new attacks on our nation."Mr. Bush said that the American military was training Iraqi forces to increasingly take over responsibility for their own security, that more military bases were being handed over to the Iraqis, and that there was an Iraqi navy force at the port in Basra.

But there did seem, at least from one of his remarks, to be the possibility that some form of dependence on the American military would remain. While the strategy was intended to prepare Iraqis to take the lead in the fight, they would be doing so without "major" foreign assistance, he said.

As more cities were delivered to Iraqi control, Mr. Bush said, American forces would concentrate on training the Iraqis and "hunting down" what he called high value targets, a reference to the Al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

"When our mission of defeating the terrorists in Iraq is complete, our troops will return home to a proud nation," he said. "This is a goal our Iraqi allies share. We will stay as long as necessary to complete the mission."

Mr. Bush said that the training and equipping of Iraqi forces has had to be changed. Army recruits are now getting specialized training. And initially, the Iraqi police were spending too much time in the classroom and not enough training in small-arms, for example. Now, their training has been retooled to focus on anti-terrorism and live-fire exercises with AK-47's.

Mr. Bush said that Iraqi forces had made "real progress" in the past year. He said that 40 Iraqi battalionsare "taking the lead in the fight" with some foreign support, while another 80 battalions are fighting alongside American forces. A takeover by Iraqi forces of an area in northern Iraq permitted citizens to vote in October election on the constitution, Mr. Bush said, adding that the Iraqi troops have also taken over several other sectors of the country.

More than a dozen bases have been handed over to the Iraqi government, he said.

Responding to criticism that only one Iraqi battalion has achieved complete independence from the American military, Mr. Bush said that not every Iraqi unit has to meet a level of self-reliance in which it can provide its own support, logistics, and intelligence and take a leading role.

He said even some NATO battalions could not meet that standard.

In a speech that was interrupted by applause several times, Mr. Bush responded to what he described as the recent "heated rhetoric" in Washington, an apparent reference to critics, including Democratic leaders in Congress, who have said that the president has no plausible plan for bringing home the nearly 160,000 troops in Iraq fighting the insurgency.

Mr. Bush said some effort has been made to include more Sunnis in the process.

Earlier this month, Iraqi leaders held a meeting in Cairo aimed at bringing an end to the wave of violence in Iraq and easing ethnic tensions. Harith al-Dhari, an official with the hard-line Sunni Muslim Scholars Association, said that the violence in Iraq would continue until the United States agreed to a scheduled pullout.

"The essence of the problem is the occupation and unless we deal with this issue with wisdom, nothing will be solved," Mr. Dhari said.

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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&u=/ap/20051130/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq_29

Bush Maps Out Iraq War Strategy =Wednesday, November 30, 2005
By Deb Riechmann, AP Writer

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - President Bush, facing growing doubts about his war strategy, said Wednesday that Iraqi troops are increasingly taking the lead in battle but that "this will take time and patience." He refused to set a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces.

Bush said the U.S. military presence in Iraq is set to change, by making fewer patrols and convoys, moving out of Iraqi cities and focusing more on specialized operations aimed at high-value terrorist targets.

"As Iraqi forces gain experience and the political process advances, we will be able to decrease our troop level in Iraq without losing our capability to defeat the terrorists," Bush told a supportive audience at the U.S. Naval Academy. "These decisions about troop levels will be driven by the conditions on the ground in Iraq and the good judgment of our commanders, not by artificial timetables set by politicians in Washington."

Bush's emphasis on the readiness of Iraqi security forces came at a time when continued violence in Iraq and the death of more than 2,000 U.S. troops have contributed to a sharp drop in the president's popularity.

Even before Bush finished speaking, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid issued a statement claiming that Bush "recycled his tired rhetoric of 'stay the course' and once again missed an opportunity to lay out a real strategy for success in Iraq that will bring our troops safely home."

The Nevada senator charged that Bush failed to meet a call by the Senate to tell Americans the administration's strategy for success in Iraq.

With lawmakers and others calling for a more sober assessment of the situation in Iraq, Bush acknowledged setbacks in the training of Iraqi forces. He recalled a time when Iraqi soldiers ran from battle, and said the United States has made several changes reflecting lessons learned from early mistakes in how Iraqis were trained.

"Some critics continue to assert that we have no plan in Iraq except to `stay the course,'" Bush said. "If by `stay the course' they mean we will not allow the terrorists to break our will, they're right. If by `stay the course' they mean we will not permit al Qaida to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban, a safe haven for terrorists and a launching pad for attacks on America, they're right as well. If by `stay the course' they mean that we're not learning from our experience or adjusting our tactics to meet the challenges on the ground, then they're flat wrong."

He did not say that the terrorists now in Iraq had anything to do with the 2001 terror attacks in the United States, but he powerfully linked the two, saying they "share the same ideology."

Bush said many Iraqi forces have made real gains over the past year.

"As the Iraqi forces grow more capable, they are increasingly taking the lead in the fight against the terrorists," Bush said. "Our goal is to train enough Iraqi forces so they can carry the fight against the terrorists."

Bush's speech did not break new ground or present a new strategy. Instead, it was intended to bring together in one place the administration's arguments for the war and explain existing strategy on a military, economic and political track. The president's address was accompanied by the release of a 35-page White House document titled "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq."

"Americans should have a clear understanding of this strategy," Bush said. He said the document was an unclassified version of the strategy that was being pursued in Iraq.

Bush said that Iraqis are stepping forward to provide security for their embattled country, torn by suicide bombings, kidnappings and other violence. "Iraqi forces have made real progress," the president said. "We will stay as long as necessary to complete the mission. If our military leaders there tell us we need more troops, I will send them."

He said that more than 120 army and police combat battalions are already in the fight against insurgents, and that 80 of those battalions are fighting side by side with coalition forces and 40 are taking the lead in the fight.

"They're helping to turn the tide in the struggle in freedom's favor," the president said.

Turning to criticism at home, Bush said, "Some are calling for a deadline for withdrawal. The many advocating an artificial timetable for withdrawing are sincere. But I believe they're sincerely wrong.

"Pulling our troops out before they achieve their purpose is not a plan for victory.

... To all who wear the uniform, I make you this pledge, America will not run in the face of car bombers and assassins so long as I am your commander in chief," Bush declared.

The 35-page fighting strategy released Wednesday maintains increasing numbers of Iraqi troops have been equipped and trained, a democratic government is being forged, Iraq's economy is being rebuilt and U.S. military and civilian presence will change as conditions improve.

"We expect, but cannot guarantee that our force posture will change over the next year, as the political process advances and Iraqi security forces grow and gain experience," it said. "While our military presence may become less visible, it will remain lethal and decisive, able to confront the enemy wherever it may organize."

Bush's wife, Laura, said earlier Wednesday she "absolutely" would like to see an acceptable resolution there. "We want our troops to be able to come home as soon as they possibly can," she said during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" while giving a White House Christmas tour.

"It's really remarkable how far they've come," she said, "but I really feel very, very encouraged that we're going to see a very great ending when we see a really free Iraq right in the heart of the Middle East."

Sixty-two percent of Americans, in an AP-Ipsos poll taken in November, said they disapproved of Bush's Iraq policy. Thirty-seven percent approved of his policy — down from 43 percent in May. The president's overall job approval rating is at 37 percent, the lowest level of his presidency.

There are about 160,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. The Pentagon has not committed to any specific drawdown of U.S. forces next year beyond the announced plan to pull back 28,000 troops that were added this fall for extra security during the election.
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On the Net:
White House — http://www.whitehouse.gov/

For Immediate Release: Office of the Press Secretary November 30, 2005
President Outlines Strategy for Victory in Iraq
United States Naval Academy -- Annapolis, Maryland
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051130-2.html

Executive Summary: OUR NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR VICTORY IN IRAQ:
Helping the Iraqi People Defeat the Terrorists and Build an Inclusive Democratic State
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_strategy_nov2005.htmlc/s