Bush Says Iraq Pullout Would Be Wrong

[FUZO]

TweetBush Says Iraq Pullout Would Be Wrong


CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush, acknowledging that some families of U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq want to bring the troops home now, believes that would be a big mistake.



"Pulling the troops out would send a terrible signal to the enemy," he said.

Speaking to reporters at his ranch, the president noted that the United States sent more soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan before elections and was considering doing so again before another round of Iraqi elections in December.

Reports that the Pentagon may increase or decrease troop levels in Iraq next year were simply "speculation and rumors," he said between meetings Thursday with his military and foreign affairs advisers.

Gen. George Casey, the top commander in Iraq, has said repeatedly that "fairly substantial" reductions were expected after the election if the political process stayed on track, if the insurgency did not expand and if the training of Iraqi security forces proceeded as planned.

Bush said he would make any decision to remove troops based on recommendations by Casey, who gave a briefing by videolink during the president's ranch meeting with advisers.

"My position has been clear, and therefore, the position of this government is clear," Bush said. "Obviously, the conditions on the ground depend upon our capacity to bring troops home."

The president said Casey reported that Iraqi security units were becoming more capable, although he acknowledged they were not ready to work alone without support from U.S. forces. He described the Iraqis' progress as improving from "raw recruit" to "plenty capable."

"I know it's hard for some Americans to see that progress," Bush said. "But we are making progress."

As for bringing the troops home, the president said he had "heard the voices of those saying, `Pull out now.'"

"I've thought about their cry and their sincere desire to reduce the loss of life by pulling our troops out. I just strongly disagree," he said.

Bush spoke as a California mother, Cindy Sheehan, sat on the road outside his ranch with a growing group of war protesters. Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed five days after he arrived in Iraq last year at age 24.

Sheehan began her standoff on Saturday, declaring she would stay for the entire month that Bush plans to stay in Texas if he won't meet with her. Since then, dozens of other activists have joined her, including at least three other parents who have lost children in the war, although the protesters began facing increased antagonism Thursday from locals and opposition from other military families.

"The president says he feels compassion for me, but the best way to show that compassion is by meeting with me and the other mothers and families who are here," Sheehan said. "All we're asking is that he sacrifice an hour out of his five-week vacation to talk to us, before the next mother loses her son in Iraq."

An AP-Ipsos poll early this month showed just 38 percent of respondents approved of Bush's handling of Iraq. More than 1,840 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the war in March 2003

"I sympathize with Mrs. Sheehan," Bush said. "She feels strongly about her position. She has every right in the world to say what she believes. This is America."

The White House put out an accounting of all the meetings that Bush has had with families of the war dead — 900 relatives of 272 people who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sheehan met the president in June 2004 but said she deserves another visit since there have been so many revelations about faulty pre-war intelligence since then.

On Friday, Bush was to turn from policy to politics. He was scheduled to visit a neighbor's ranch for a barbecue where he was to help raise a couple million dollars for the GOP just by showing up.

The fundraiser for some 230 people at Stan and Kathy Hickey's Broken Spoke Ranch, a 478-acre spread next to Bush's ranch, was expected to raise at least $2 million for the Republican National Committee, according to RNC spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt.

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[BIGSARGE]

TweetBUSH NEEDS TO GO OVER THERE AND GET SHOT AT AND SEE IF HE CHANGES HIS MIND THEN

[Phreak]

Tweetfuckin' a.

that's the problem; none of the rich pricks who are setting the policy have any kids over there... so what do they care?

same story as always folks- the ones that are over there dying and getting mamed are the very ones who will NEVER enjoy the spoils of the war.

[Equalizer]

Tweet"She has every right in the world to say what she believes. This is America."

Oh now thats fucking classic coming from the adminstration that discredits anyone who opposes them.

[OldWiseGuy]

TweetBush was there already visiting the troops. And our troops have been there enforcing the no fly zone sence the first iraq war. And the only way to end the no fly zone was to overthrow the Iraq goverment. War is never wonderful. And no one wants their child to die.

[mick-G]

TweetIve talked to a few service men who were there and none of them agree with the Pres,saying its all political propaganda, and they don'ten have alot of the proper equiptment to get the job done, and that it is an unjustified war that will never end and alot of their ppl don't even want us there or like Americans..?, Were is the WMD?So i will ask why the hell are we over there, especially if no other countries are backing us on this other than the Brits? It is totally screwing up our economy. We should at least be taking some of their oil so our ppl at home who can't aford the high prices can get by. Ask yourself, why did 9/11 happen in the first place?? Why, because they didn't want us over there. This is only prepetuating future probs, imo.

[Skarhead]

Tweet

BUSH NEEDS TO GO OVER THERE AND GET SHOT AT AND SEE IF HE CHANGES HIS MIND THEN

agree

[Phreak]

Tweethere, this will sum it up nicely for everybody. if you cannot see the reasons why we are over there after reading this document...

https://www.newamericancentury.org/aboutpnac.htm

1) iraq has the second largest oil reserves in the world.

2) OPEC oil is what gives the US dollar value (since 1971 when the gold reserve was shunned). in 2001 Hussein begain selling his oil for euros, laughable at first, until he made billions and billions off the sale(s) and sent the european economy through the roof. this had the potential to stat a dangerous trend which would have made the euro the dominant world currency and would have sent the american economy into the garbage. venezuela and russia actually considered selling their oil for euros until the invasion.

3) the US needed a new military stronghold in the region, as we were being kicked out of Saudi Arabia


the idea behind the PNAC is to spread democracy thourghout the world, by force if necessary. this is seen as the only way to truly protect the economic interests of the american corporate machine, which is essentially what runs the global economy.

billions and billions and BILLIONS in contracts for the rebuilding of iraq's infrastructure were awarded primarily to corporations who had direct or indirect links to the current administration. this was their reward for putting the president back in power.

the resistance to the PNAC is just a fact that they have accepted. hussein was one of the primary threats to stability in a region that they have targeted. we all know what happened to him.

the insurgency is just another form of resistance. notice that the insurgents are from all over the middle east; there are many in that region who see the proliferation of american democracy as the end of a way of life that has existed for thousands of years. people are going to protect their way of life just as we protect ours.

[Equalizer]

TweetBlood for Oil.....fucking crooks, if we pulled the shit these crooks do we would be under the fucking jails, period. They lie and lie and lie and that is the biggest problem.