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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Bush: Pulling Out of Iraq Not an Option |
| 2005-06-19 |
| WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush said Saturday that pulling out of Iraq now is not an option, rejecting calls by some lawmakers and many people asked in polls to start bringing U.S. troops home. ``The terrorists and insurgents are trying to get us to retreat. Their goal is to get us to leave before Iraqis have had a chance to show the region what a government that is elected and truly accountable to its citizens can do for its people,'' Bush said in his weekly radio address. ``We will settle for nothing less than victory'' over terrorists there, he said later. Bush acknowledged discontent over his decisions but signaled no shift in policy or timing for the American presence in Iraq. ``Some may disagree with my decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, but all of us can agree that the world's terrorists have now made Iraq a central front in the war on terror,'' he said. ``This mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight.'' The administration insists no timetable can be set for bringing U.S. forces home from Iraq until enough Iraqi forces have been sufficiently trained to take over the fight against the insurgency. Anything else, the administration argues, would only embolden the insurgency. Bush also paid tribute to progress seen in Iraq this week. Iraq's Shiite-led parliament and leaders of the disaffected Sunni Arab minority, which is believed to be the backbone of the insurgency, agreed on a process for drafting Iraq's constitution. ``Time and again, the Iraqi people have defied the skeptics who claim they are not up to the job of building a free society,'' he said. ``I am confident that Iraqis will continue to defy the skeptics as they build a new Iraq that represents the diversity of their nation and assumes greater responsibility for their own security. And when they do, our troops can come home with the honor they have earned.'' After elections in January, writing a constitution is Iraq's next milestone in its fits-and-starts transition to democracy. Later this year, the document is to put up for a vote in a public referendum and then a new government is to be elected. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #5 I love it when the Dems quote poll numbers to argue for a certain policy change. It's really comical whenthey try to pursuade Bush with poll numbers. The man knows what is right and doesn't need a poll to determine a course of action. Good Job 'W' NEVER GIVE IN! |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2005-06-19 11:36 |
| #4 Absolutely. Thats why he is such a great president. He has conviction and courage, what a leader of this country needs in these times. Just thank God, John Kerry is not president right now. |
| Posted by: bgrebel9 2005-06-19 03:55 |
| #3 Heh. No wet finger in the wind for Dubya. He knows where he needs to go and just pushes on. Fuck the memers and screamers and lamers and tools. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-06-19 00:47 |
| #2 Amen, he can take the heat. I think we should squeak the wheels as hard as we can(call and write letters) to move the admin on immigration reform (shut the f*cking borders) and big spending. |
| Posted by: Red Dog 2005-06-19 00:24 |
| #1 This is what I like about Dubya. He is a rock. I disagree with him on immigration and his big government policies. But I like this guy anyway. He fights. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-06-19 00:10 |