Tweet
Bush Hails Iraq Vote on New Constitution
WASHINGTON - President Bush on Sunday portrayed Iraqis' vote on a new constitution as a victory for opponents of terrorism and a sign that the country was to moving toward a democracy.
"The vote today in Iraq is in stark contrast to the attitude, the philosophy and strategy of al-Qaida, and its terrorist friends and killers," the president said.
Earlier, in London, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said violence will continue in Iraq even if the constitution is approved, and that support for the insurgency will wane in the march toward democracy.
"Al-Qaida wants to use their violent ways to stop the march to progress," Bush said upon his arrival at the White House after a weekend at Camp David.
"We believe and the Iraqis believe that the best way forward is through the democratic process," he said. The president did not take questions from reporters.
Bush congratulated Iraqis for successfully completing the balloting, saying that by all indications the turnout — and Sunni participation — was greater than it was January for election for a temporary government, and that there was less violence than last time.
After months of difficult negotiations over the proposed constitution, the president grabbed the opportunity to speak to what he said is an important step for the Middle Eastern nation.
The United States is hoping the constitution, if approved, will build confidence in the new government among minority Sunni Arabs and sap support for the insurgency. Eventually, political stability would enable the 150,000 U.S. troops to begin to withdraw.
Rice, ending a weeklong trip to Central Asia and Europe that dealt with Iraq, Iran and other issues, told reporters before returning to Washington, "I have no doubt that the terrorists are going to continue to try to derail the political process, but they've failed every time they've tried to derail it."
"If we leave prematurely, we will have failed in what our goal is here, which is to have a different kind of Middle East" that is not a source of violent extremism, Rice said.
On another Middle East issue, Rice ruled out for now any direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program.
"We're listening to them, but as far as broad-scale U.S. involvement in talks, I don't at this point see that that would be productive," Rice said.
Millions of Iraqis voted Saturday on a charter that is a milestone for establishing a government in the majority-Arab nation more than two years after a U.S.-led invasion toppled President Saddam Hussein.
Initial vote counts in provinces dominated by Sunni Arabs, considered the constitution's strongest opponents, were showing surprising support for the charter. Final, official results were not expected for days.
"There's a belief that it has probably passed," Rice told reporters in London on Sunday morning. "We'll see, but that's the general assessment that it has probably passed."
"What it will certainly help to do is to broaden the base of the political process, those who are casting their lot with the political process," Rice said.
Less than an hour later, she hedged a bit more. "I think we don't know the fate of the referendum at this point," she told "Fox News Sunday."
The chief U.S. diplomat said terrorists and those who support violence will see their influence diminish as the political process advances.
As evidence of the continuing violence, five U.S. soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb Saturday while patrolling during voting in Ramadi, west of Baghdad.
Rice said it will not be a disaster if the constitution fails. "I think we can't keep moving the bar for the Iraqis," she said.
Under the country's temporary government rules, "Iraqis had a process ... that told them, 'Write a constitution and then have a referendum,'" and they have done so, Rice said. "It's not a setback for the process if they exercise that right one way or another, it is a process that is alive and well."
If the constitution fails, a new one must be drafted by a new parliament, to be elected in December. If it passes, a new parliament will also be elected and a new government selected — the first permanent, fully constitutional government in Iraq since Saddam's ouster.
In a less optimistic assessment, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, called the constitution a divisive document that, even if approved, leaves key political issues unsettled, such as autonomy for certain regions.
"That means the political unity, which is absolutely essential to defeat the insurgency, does not exist in Iraq," Levin told NBC's "Meet the Press."
Levin said he thinks that at least 50,000 of the 150,000 U.S. troops now in Iraq will be sent home by next year's November elections in the U.S. By then, he said, either Iraqi troops will be able to defend their country well enough to allow U.S. troop reductions or Iraqi politicians will have refused or failed to make the political progress necessary.
Rice completed her trip with a meeting at British Prime Minister Tony Blair's country retreat. The nuclear standoff with Iran was a main topic of Rice's discussion with European allies and Russia, along with questions about Syria's lingering influence in Lebanon.
Iran signaled on Sunday that it may be prepared to return to nuclear negotiations with Britain, France and Germany.
___
WASHINGTON - President Bush on Sunday portrayed Iraqis' vote on a new constitution as a victory for opponents of terrorism and a sign that the country was to moving toward a democracy.
"The vote today in Iraq is in stark contrast to the attitude, the philosophy and strategy of al-Qaida, and its terrorist friends and killers," the president said.
Earlier, in London, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said violence will continue in Iraq even if the constitution is approved, and that support for the insurgency will wane in the march toward democracy.
"Al-Qaida wants to use their violent ways to stop the march to progress," Bush said upon his arrival at the White House after a weekend at Camp David.
"We believe and the Iraqis believe that the best way forward is through the democratic process," he said. The president did not take questions from reporters.
Bush congratulated Iraqis for successfully completing the balloting, saying that by all indications the turnout — and Sunni participation — was greater than it was January for election for a temporary government, and that there was less violence than last time.
After months of difficult negotiations over the proposed constitution, the president grabbed the opportunity to speak to what he said is an important step for the Middle Eastern nation.
The United States is hoping the constitution, if approved, will build confidence in the new government among minority Sunni Arabs and sap support for the insurgency. Eventually, political stability would enable the 150,000 U.S. troops to begin to withdraw.
Rice, ending a weeklong trip to Central Asia and Europe that dealt with Iraq, Iran and other issues, told reporters before returning to Washington, "I have no doubt that the terrorists are going to continue to try to derail the political process, but they've failed every time they've tried to derail it."
"If we leave prematurely, we will have failed in what our goal is here, which is to have a different kind of Middle East" that is not a source of violent extremism, Rice said.
On another Middle East issue, Rice ruled out for now any direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program.
"We're listening to them, but as far as broad-scale U.S. involvement in talks, I don't at this point see that that would be productive," Rice said.
Millions of Iraqis voted Saturday on a charter that is a milestone for establishing a government in the majority-Arab nation more than two years after a U.S.-led invasion toppled President Saddam Hussein.
Initial vote counts in provinces dominated by Sunni Arabs, considered the constitution's strongest opponents, were showing surprising support for the charter. Final, official results were not expected for days.
"There's a belief that it has probably passed," Rice told reporters in London on Sunday morning. "We'll see, but that's the general assessment that it has probably passed."
"What it will certainly help to do is to broaden the base of the political process, those who are casting their lot with the political process," Rice said.
Less than an hour later, she hedged a bit more. "I think we don't know the fate of the referendum at this point," she told "Fox News Sunday."
The chief U.S. diplomat said terrorists and those who support violence will see their influence diminish as the political process advances.
As evidence of the continuing violence, five U.S. soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb Saturday while patrolling during voting in Ramadi, west of Baghdad.
Rice said it will not be a disaster if the constitution fails. "I think we can't keep moving the bar for the Iraqis," she said.
Under the country's temporary government rules, "Iraqis had a process ... that told them, 'Write a constitution and then have a referendum,'" and they have done so, Rice said. "It's not a setback for the process if they exercise that right one way or another, it is a process that is alive and well."
If the constitution fails, a new one must be drafted by a new parliament, to be elected in December. If it passes, a new parliament will also be elected and a new government selected — the first permanent, fully constitutional government in Iraq since Saddam's ouster.
In a less optimistic assessment, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, called the constitution a divisive document that, even if approved, leaves key political issues unsettled, such as autonomy for certain regions.
"That means the political unity, which is absolutely essential to defeat the insurgency, does not exist in Iraq," Levin told NBC's "Meet the Press."
Levin said he thinks that at least 50,000 of the 150,000 U.S. troops now in Iraq will be sent home by next year's November elections in the U.S. By then, he said, either Iraqi troops will be able to defend their country well enough to allow U.S. troop reductions or Iraqi politicians will have refused or failed to make the political progress necessary.
Rice completed her trip with a meeting at British Prime Minister Tony Blair's country retreat. The nuclear standoff with Iran was a main topic of Rice's discussion with European allies and Russia, along with questions about Syria's lingering influence in Lebanon.
Iran signaled on Sunday that it may be prepared to return to nuclear negotiations with Britain, France and Germany.
___