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Bush Cheered at Fort Benning
President Bush, surrounded on Thursday by cheering soldiers in camouflage, defended his decision to send 21,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq and cautioned that the buildup will not produce quick results. "It's going to take awhile," he said. With Americans overwhelmingly opposed to the increase, Bush said the U.S. commitment to the war was not open-ended although he put no timetable on how long it would last. While more bloodshed can be expected, Bush said, Americans should give the Iraqi government time to prove its resolve to stop violence and unify the nation. Fort Benning, south of Columbus, Ga., offered Bush a patriotic backdrop and a friendly audience in which to sell his retooled plan for Iraq, which drew heavy fire on Capitol Hill from Democrats and some Republicans. Some 4,000 members of Fort Benning's 3rd Brigade Combat Team are being sent to Iraq earlier than planned because of the president's decision. "The new strategy is not going to yield immediate results. It's going to take awhile," Bush said. "The American people have got to understand that suicide bombings won't stop immediately." Posted by: Fred 2007-01-12 |
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