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As the war in Iraq drags on past its fourth year a considerable majority of Americans consider the war to be increasingly difficult and perhaps too much so for a Coalition victory to occur. The Senate Majority Leader considers the war a lost cause and said, "I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week…” Two-thirds of the American public disapprove of the Bush Administration’s handling of the war and over one-half of the members of the U.S Congress support a timetable for...

WASHINGTON, July 13 (UPI) -- A GOP presidential candidate said Thursday it was too soon to scrap the "surge" strategy in Iraq. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and a conservative candidate for the GOP's 2008 presidential nomination, was speaking after the Democratic-controlled House passed a measure insisting on U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq. President George W. Bush is expected to veto the legislation. Hunter said the measure was "an attempt by the House Democratic leadership to stampede a retreat from Iraq. And it is a gratuitous attempt...

George W. Bush appealed to Congress on Tuesday to give the military more time to help stabilise Iraq before judging the success of this year's US troop build-up. The president's comments were made amid a fresh push by Democrats to end the war and renewed bloodshed in Baghdad, where one of the biggest barrages against the heavily fortified Green Zone claimed the lives of three people and injured 18 others. Five of the injured were US citizens, including two military service members and three contract employees. Rising numbers of Republicans have also added their voices to calls for a troop...

WASHINGTON As the Senate debates taking a new course in Iraq, President Bush's national security adviser scheduled a meeting with more than a dozen Republican senators in a bid to shore up eroding support for the war. Stephen Hadley was to visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday one of many such forays in recent days as the White House finalized a 23-page progress report on Iraq that concludes the government in Baghdad has made little progress in meeting reform goals laid down by Bush and Congress. Iraq's inability to pass laws considered key to national cohesion and economic recovery or achieve...

Sorry for the vanity, but I feel we're at a breaking point re: Iraq. Just as things appear to be getting better, that a plan has gained traction, the rug is about to be pulled. To be trite, tough times call for strong measures. The rightroots movement helped thwart amnesty and gathered Eagles to secure D.C.'s sacred memorials. Can we mount a final stand in Iraq?

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary July 10, 2007 President Bush Visits Cleveland, Ohio Intercontinental Hotel Cleveland Cleveland, Ohio   White House News       Fact Sheet: A Day in Cleveland: President Bush Calls on Congress to Act to Fund Vital Priorities 1:42 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Fred. Thanks for coming. Thanks for having me. It's a smart marketing tool -- you know, all the cameras. (Laughter.) I thought for sure the largest Chamber of Commerce was in Texas, but I guess not. (Laughter.) I'm thrilled to be back in Cleveland. I've had a fascinating day. I...

As Israel's experiences with withdrawal over the past decade have made clear, retreat in the face of terror is simply not an option. Has the United States lost the will to fight? Just when it appears that the tide might be turning against al-Qaida in Iraq, a growing chorus of US senators and congressmen are calling on President George W. Bush to carry out a rapid withdrawal of American military forces. It has only been a month since Bush's military "surge" reached its full capacity, but that hasn't stopped the weak knees of the critics from growing ever more wobbly....

WASHINGTON, July 10, 2007 – President Bush today said he will wait until the top commander in Iraq issues his assessment of progress there before deciding the way ahead for the region. “I believe that it’s in this nation’s interest to give the commander the chance to fully implement his operations,” Bush said, speaking to about 400 people in a town-hall-style meeting in Cleveland. Bush said he believes the United States eventually can reduce its troop presence in Iraq to the number necessary to preserve the country’s territorial integrity, ensure al Qaeda doesn’t gain safe haven from which to launch...

CLEVELAND - President Bush, facing new pressure to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq, said Tuesday he won't consider it until hearing a fresh assessment from his top commander there this fall. "That's what the American people expect. They expect for military people to come back and tell us how the military operations are going," Bush said. "And that's the way I'm going to play it as commander in chief." Gen. David Petraeus is due in September to present a progress report to Congress on the effects of the recently completed troop buildup in Iraq. Frustration in Congress —...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As President Bush faces GOP pressure to change his war strategy, the White House announced Tuesday that an upcoming progress report will result in "the beginning of a new way" in Iraq. White House spokesman Snow: "Everybody says, 'We want to do it a new way.' We agree. It's now started." Six months after announcing an increase of nearly 30,000 U.S. troops that became known as the "surge," Bush is scheduled to appear at a town meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday where he's expected to push for a "post-surge" phase of the four-year war, senior officials...

WASHINGTON - The White House is rethinking its diplomatic options in Iraq, but won't reconsider its military strategy before an assessment from war commanders is presented in September, U.S. officials said Tuesday. President Bush's top war advisers, Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute and Stephen Hadley, went to Capitol Hill to assure Republican supporters that a precipitate pullout of troops won't happen. Sens. Trent Lott of Mississippi, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, John McCain of Arizona, Jon Kyl of Arizona and others met with the two advisers in Vice President Dick Cheney's office off the Senate floor. Graham said members were told...

WASHINGTON - A Bush administration report to Congress citing a lack of progress by the Baghdad government is "a look at the starting line" of the U.S. troop surge and shouldn't be used by critics to demand withdrawal, a White House spokesman said Tuesday. "What Congress will get this week is a snapshot of the beginning of the retooling of the mission in Iraq," said Tony Snow, who defended the administration's war policy and argued that it's too soon to be talking about end-game strategies. "Some of the benchmarks have been made, some of them haven't," he said. Snow confirmed...

This week, Democrats on Capitol Hill are expected to present several different bills meant to undermine the war in Iraq. I fear that it will be difficult for Americans to discern the facts, as members on the Hill (including some Republicans) will revisit past failures and lament unfortunate losses rather than undertake a serious critique of the new counterinsurgency strategy.Why? Because for some members of Congress, there is a growing fear that Gen. David Petraeus just might have a winning strategy in Iraq.Despite four years of failed policy, the strategy we have in Iraq today is sound, both in principle...

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2007 – Iraqi security forces are not yet ready to secure their country, and if U.S. troops were withdrawn too soon, violence would escalate, a top U.S. commander in the region said yesterday. “It would be a mess,” Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of coalition forces operating in the region south of Baghdad, said in an interview on CNN’s “Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer” yesterday. “(If) those surge forces go away, that capability goes away, and the Iraqi security forces aren't ready yet to do that. If you did that, … you'd find the enemy regaining...

The New York Times leads today with David Sanger's story, "In White House, Debate Is Rising On Iraq Pullback; Political Considerations; Not Waiting For Sept. 15, Aides Seek to Forestall G.O.P. Defections." The piece is tendentious, as one would expect--but THE WEEKLY STANDARD has confirmed that there are real discussions going on at the White House, with advocates of what is being called "The Grand Bargain" pushing hard for the president to move soon to announce plans to pull back in Iraq. So this week will not only be a week of (mostly silly) debate on the Hill; it will...

George W. Bush is not ­contemplating a change of strategy in Iraq, in spite of intensifying bipartisan pressure on the president to start reducing US troop numbers in the country, the White House said on Monday.The defiant message came amid signs of rapidly eroding support for the war within Mr Bush’s Republican party and a growing sense of inevitability in Washington that the US will soon be forced to seek an exit from Iraq. Tony Snow, White House press secretary, said there was “no debate right now” within the administration about taking immediate steps to withdraw troops from the battlefield.His comments...

BAGHDAD: The American ambassador to Iraq has urged policy makers in Washington to give "some very, very serious thought" to the consequences that could follow an early reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq, warning of a surge in sectarian killings in which civilians "by the thousands" could die.... "You can't build a whole policy on a fear of a negative, but, boy, you've really got to account for it," Crocker said in an interview on Saturday at his office in Saddam Hussein's old Republican palace, now the seat of American power in Iraq.... "In the States, it's like we're in...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush's spokesman on Monday denied a published report that described intensifying debate among White House officials over whether to begin a gradual pullback of U.S. troops in Iraq. White House spokesman Tony Snow said a story in The New York Times about a proposed "gradual withdrawal"of forces in "high-casualty neighborhoods in Baghdad and other cities" is "way ahead of the facts." "There's no debate right now on withdrawing forces from Iraq," Snow said. The report and denial come as a GOP senator said support for the president's war policy was eroding and as the Senate prepares...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush is not contemplating withdrawing forces from Iraq now despite an erosion of support among Republicans for his war policy, the White House said Monday. The administration also tried to lower expectations about a report due Sunday on whether the Iraqi government is meeting political, economic and security benchmarks that Bush set in January when he announced a buildup of 21,500 U.S. combat forces. White House press secretary Tony Snow said that all of the additional troops had just gotten in place and it would be unrealistic to expect major progress now. "You are not going to...

NEWSWEEK: But aren’t they merely listening to their constituents, who by and large want a change in America’s Iraq policy? Rich Santorum: Constituency always plays a role. The question is how much of a role? From my perspective, I listened very intently to the folks of my state but ultimately I did what I believed was of the best interest for my state and country. And I lost because of it. I’m sure all of these members are hearing it. People are not happy with the war, period … There are lots of reasons for frustration, but that does not...

WASHINGTON, July 6, 2007 – A premature withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq would leave the country at the mercy of its enemies, a senior U.S. military officer said today. Thanks to surge-provided reinforcements, U.S. and Iraqi security forces participating in Operation Marne Torch are now making “significant progress” in knocking out insurgent sanctuaries located within his battle space, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of Multinational Division Center and the 3rd Infantry Division, said today during a satellite-carried teleconference with Pentagon reporters. However, “it would be a mess,” Lynch emphasized, if the surge forces were withdrawn as part of...

OTTAWA, Canada - The deaths of six Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan are particularly troubling but the country’s military mission will stay in place until early 2009 as scheduled, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Thursday.

JOHN Howard will today rule out an imminent withdrawal of Australian combat troops from Iraq, staking an election-year position on staying the course in the Middle East. The Prime Minister will spell out an unambiguous commitment to a long-term Australian military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a major security speech, Mr Howard will stress the stark consequences of a failure by the US and its allies to secure Iraq. He will argue that the military coalition cannot allow weariness, frustration or political convenience to dictate strategy in Iraq.

PRIME Minister John Howard said today the Federal Government had no plan to start withdrawing Australian troops from Iraq by February or within any other specific time frame. The Sunday Telegraph today quoted an anonymous senior military source as saying that such a plan was in place in the event the war in Iraq worsens for US-led forces. The rumoured plan would reportedly be announced before the federal election later this year to ambush Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd, who has committed to pulling out Australian troops from Iraq if Labor wins government. Mr Howard gave a stern reply to reporters...

The grandson of Sir Winston Churchill will tell an Ottawa audience tonight that a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would be disastrous for the Middle East and for western nations. That grandson, also named Winston Churchill, will deliver his address, titled "Democracy and Freedom Under Threat," at the annual forum of Kollel of Ottawa, a centre for advanced Torah study. "If the Americans admit failure and withdraw soon from Iraq, I see the writing on the wall," Mr. Churchill told the Citizen in a phone call from Britain. "Our friends and allies in the region, as well as nations throughout the...

I wasn't surprised when I saw Al Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, appear on Al Jazeera to announce America's defeat last week, not long after U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did. Zawahiri claims Al Qaeda has won, and Reid claims America has lost. But from here in Baghdad, I see only a war that's still raging - with no victory in sight for Al Qaeda or any other entity. In fact, I see Al Qaeda on the ropes, losing support among my fellow Iraqis. In the midst of such a fierce war, sending more wrong messages could only further complicate...

WASHINGTON — President Bush, on a collision course with Congress over Iraq, said Friday "I'm the decision-maker" about sending more troops to the war. He challenged skeptical lawmakers not to prematurely condemn his plan. "I've picked the plan that I think is most likely to succeed," Bush said in an Oval Office meeting with senior military advisers. The president had strong words for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who are lining up to support resolutions opposing his decision to send 21,500 troops to Iraq. He challenged them to put up their own ideas. "Some are condeming a plan...

By VOA News07 September 2006 George W. Bush speaks to audience in Atlanta, Ga., Thursday President Bush has vowed to keep steady pressure on members of the al Qaida terrorist group, to find them, and to bring them to justice.Mr. Bush spoke to an audience in the southeastern U.S. city of Atlanta, Georgia Thursday, in a speech he billed as a progress report in the war on terror. He said efforts to fight terrorism since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States have resulted in two countries that once harbored terrorists - Iraq and Afghanistan - now...

Canadian troops stay the course on Operation Medusa CanWest News Service Tuesday, September 05, 2006 As Canadian soldiers pressed on Tuesday to engage the Taliban in fierce fighting in Afghanistan, federal politicians debated the merits of the mission that has so far claimed the lives of 32 soldiers. But the insurgents are paying a heavy price too. Between 50 and 60 Taliban were killed as Canadian troops contained insurgents and continued hitting their positions with heavy Howitzer guns and called in bomb strikes from coalition aircraft, NATO officials said. Canadian troops detain suspected Taliban insurgents in the combat zone...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — President Bush is kicking off another series of speeches to counter opposition to the war in Iraq, impatience with the rising U.S. death toll and anxiety about possible terrorist attacks. ADVERTISEMENT Bush delivers the first speech Thursday to the annual American Legion convention in Salt Lake City. The appearances will continue through the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and culminate on Sept. 19 when Bush addresses the U.N. Security Council. It is the third time in less than a year that Bush has made a series of speeches on Iraq and terrorism. They come...

WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday vowed the United States will not give up in Iraq "so long as I'm the president" and said advocates of a troop pullout do not "see the world the way it is." In a hastily called news conference, Bush said retreat from Iraq would turn the fledgling democracy into a "safe haven for terrorists and extremists." "We're not leaving, so long as I'm the president. That would be a huge mistake," Bush insisted. "If you think it's bad now, imagine what Iraq would look like if the United States leaves before this government can defend...

President Bush yesterday pledged to remain in Iraq throughout his presidency and put the issue squarely at the top of this year's congressional elections, saying it will be a defining difference between Republicans and Democrats. "Either you say, yes, it's important that we stay there and get it done, or we leave. We're not leaving so long as I'm the president," the president said at a press conference yesterday morning, in which he also announced expanded U.S. aid for Lebanon and Israel, defended the pace of progress on rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and said the United Nations must be ready...

Admits frustration, but vows to keep troops there until ‘job is done’ WASHINGTON - President Bush said Monday the Iraq war is "straining the psyche of our country" but leaving now would be a disaster. Bush served notice at a news conference that he would not change course or flinch from debate about the unpopular war as he campaigns for Republicans in the fall congressional elections. [snip] Now in its fourth year, the war has taken a heavy toll -- more than 2,600 Americans have died and many more Iraqis have been killed. Last month alone, about 3,500 Iraqis died...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2006 – Amid national debate about whether or not to stay the course in Iraq, President Bush today firmly placed himself in the “stay” category. It’s imperative America continues to support the new Iraqi government in its struggle against an insurgency that seeks to divide and topple it, Bush told White House reporters here. “A failed Iraq would make America less secure,” Bush declared. The end of democracy in Iraq, he said, would provide a haven for terrorists and extremists in the heart of the Middle East. Bush acknowledged that some Americans are saying it’s time...

He's not backing down folks.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2006 – America will remain on the offensive against al Qaeda and nations that support terror groups, President Bush said here today. Bush met with Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace and other members of his national security team at the Pentagon and the State Department. The group discussed progress in the global war on terror and national security transformation during the series of meetings. During a news conference at the State Department following the meetings, Bush said...

...Rightroots has picked fourteen conservative House candidates and four conservative Senate candidates according to the belief that “properly funded, these candidates represent our best chance to retain control of Congress and to enact a conservative agenda.” The candidates are as follows: U.S. House of Representatives Michele Bachmann (MN-06) Chuck Blasdel (OH-6) Max Burns (GA-12) John Gard (WI-08) Diana Irey (PA-12) Jeff Lamberti (IA-03) Ray Meier (NY-24) David McSweeney (IL-08) Rick O'Donnell (CO-07) Peter Roskam (IL-06) Scott Tipton (CO-3) Van Taylor (TX-17) Chris Wakim (WV-01) Mike Whalen (IA-01) U.S. Senate Thomas Kean (New Jersey) Michael Steele (Maryland) Mark Kennedy (Minnesota) Mike...

August 1, 2006 -- President Bush yesterday defied world pressure and stood behind Israel's refusal to agree to an immediate cease-fire, after Israeli bombs killed at least 54 people in the Lebanese town of Qana. "We want there to be a long-lasting peace, one that is sustainable," the president said in Miami. "It is important to remember this crisis began with Hezbollah's unprovoked terrorist attacks against Israel. Israel is exercising its right to defend itself. We mourn the loss of innocent life, both in Lebanon and Israel." Bush said the bombing in Qana was "awful," and acknowledged "there's been a...

KABUL, Afghanistan, July 11, 2006 – Great progress has been made in Afghanistan in the last five years, and the U.S. will continue its commitment to that success, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today. President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai bids farewell to Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld at the conclusion of his visit to the presidential compound in Kabul, Afghanistan on July 11, 2006. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Gary Hilliard U.S. Army (Released)   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "I think (of) a few short years ago, (and of) what was happening in...

An illuminated Independence Hall on the evening of July 3 provided the setting for one of those moments that are uniquely Philadelphian - and emblematic of America. A soft summer breeze gently rustled the Stars and Stripes flying from a pole near the entrance to the venerable building. Outside on the Chestnut Street side, on a platform in front of the doors leading into the hallowed hall, the famed Peter Nero and the Philly Pops Orchestra gave a concert. Across the street, on Independence Mall next to the Liberty Bell Center, was an audience of about 2,000 people, seated in...

WASHINGTON - The Senate has rejected a proposal to make the Bush administration withdraw all combat troops from Iraq in the next year. It was the first of two votes today on Democratic proposals to pull troops out of Iraq. Democrats demanded that the U.S. begin withdrawing troops from Iraq this year, while Republicans echoed President Bush's call to stay the course ahead of Senate votes on Thursday that illustrate the choice facing voters in midterm elections this fall. "Withdrawal is not an option. Surrender is not a solution," declared Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who characterized Democrats as defeatists...

Australia troops will still have a role in Iraq after foreign forces hand over security to Iraqi forces in the country's south, Prime Minister John Howard said Sunday, indicating his country's troops would not be brought home soon. Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Salam Zikam Ali al-Zubaie said on Friday that Iraq has an agreement to take over security responsibilities from Japanese, Australian and British troops in southern Iraq this month. About 460 Australian troops are providing security for the Japanese contingent of 600 in Iraq's southern Muthanna province. In total, Australia has about 1,320 troops in Iraq and the Middle...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, just back from Iraq, dismissed calls for a U.S. withdrawal as election-year politics and refused to give a timetable or benchmark for success that would allow troops to come home. "It's bad policy," Bush said in a Rose Garden news conference Wednesday, about six hours after he returned from Iraq. "I know it may sound good politically. It will endanger our country to pull out of Iraq before we accomplish the mission." The news conference was arranged to capitalize on Bush's stealthy 5 1/2-hour trip to Baghdad Tuesday. The visit marked his first meeting with...

NASSIRIYA, Iraq (Reuters) -- Italy will redouble its efforts to help the reconstruction of Iraq even after withdrawing its troops this year, new Defense Minister Arturo Parisi said. "The withdrawal does not mean we are turning our back on the Iraqis," Parisi said Tuesday during his first visit to Italy's military contingent in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya. "Italy's commitment will proceed through strengthened political, civil and humanitarian assistance, and support for (Iraq's) institutions and the reconstruction of the country." However, Parisi said it was too early to say whether Italy would keep civilians in Iraq after its soldiers...

President George W. Bush again vowed to complete US military missions around the world as the United States honoured its war dead with the American toll in Iraq closing on 2,500. Tears welled in the US president's eyes as he gave his latest annual speech at Arlington National Cemetery, just a few days after admitting that he had some regrets about the Iraq conflict and that it had caused "consternation" in America. "I'm in awe of the men and women who sacrifice for the freedom of the United States of America," Bush said to loud applause from an audience that...

lives to the service of our country, knowing full well in the post-9/11 world that this means facing the horrors and dangers of combat. If the United States were to abandon Iraq and Afghanistan before these countries can defend their fledgling democracies against the likes of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida, then the lives of every soldier, sailor, Marine, airman or Coast Guardsman who has died there would have been lost in vain. We must never forget that we, as a nation, decided in 2001 and 2003 that Iraq and Afghanistan were worth the shedding of American blood. As Lincoln's...

President Bush And Prime Minister Tony Blair Of The United Kingdom Participate In Joint Press Availability 7:31 P.M. EDT PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you all. Good evening. I want to thank Prime Minister Tony Blair for coming to Washington to discuss his recent visit to Iraq. The Prime Minister met with key leaders of the new Iraqi government that represents the will of the Iraqi people and reflects their nation's diversity. As Prime Minister Blair will tell you, Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki outlined an aggressive agenda to bring security to the Iraqi people, to improve electricity and other essential services, and to...

WASHINGTON — President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair are going to work with their new partners in Iraq to determine when the Iraqis can sustain themselves and coalition forces can drawdown, the president said in a press conference with Blair on Thursday night. "I have said that our commanders on the ground will make that decision. I will talk to General Casey once he has conferred with the new government in Iraq. They are in the process of getting a defense minister, they don't have a defense minister yet ... it probably makes a lot of sense for our...

President George W. Bush strides across the world stage as much as the U.S. dominates the world's stage. This is very good news for those of us who still believe in decency and democracy. So forget what some slanted opinion polls say about the leadership of the 43rd president and his patriot countrymen. Recall, Sir Winston Churchill was once one of the most detested men in Britain, then went on to save the free world. That's Churchill's undisputed legacy. In another era it may be Bush's legacy, too. This past week, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, one of America's strongest...

Q Mr. Secretary, General Pace, I'm Lieutenant Speertu (ph). As a supporter of -- a strong supporter of the war on terror and the war in Iraq, as someone who receives e-mails from friends who have been out in the field showing all the good that we do out there, and a brother proudly serving in Djibouti, I become disheartened when I come in to work and I read all the articles about all the negative press that we get and how, you know, a lot of people want to pull out of the war. I'm curious what sort of...