Posted on 06/29/2005 5:45:46 AM PDT by phoenix_004
Congressional critics of President Bush's stay-the-course commitment to the war in Iraq argued Wednesday that the administration lacks sufficient troops on the ground to mount a successful counterinsurgency. Democrats in particular criticized Bush for again raising the Sept. 11 attacks as a justification for the protracted fight in Iraq after the president proclaimed anew that he plans to keep U.S. forces there as long as necessary to ensure peace.
Urging patience on an American public showing doubts about his Iraq policy, Bush mentioned the deadly 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington five times during a 28-minute address Tuesday night at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Some Democrats quickly accused him of reviving a questionable link to the war in Iraq - a rationale that Bush originally used to help justify launching strikes against Baghdad in the spring of 2003.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi accused Bush of demonstrating a willingness "exploit the sacred ground of 9/11, knowing that there is no connection between 9/11 and the war in Iraq."
Bush first mentioned the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center at the beginning of his speech, delivered at an Army base that has 9,300 troops in Iraq. He acknowledged that Americans are disturbed by frequent deaths of U.S. troops, but tried to persuade an increasingly skeptical public to stick with the mission.
"The war reached our shores on September the 11th, 2001," Bush told a national television audience and 750 soldiers and airmen in dress uniform who mostly listened quietly as they had been asked to do.
"Iraq is the latest battlefield in this war," he continued.
Bush said he understands the public concerns about a 27-month-old war that has killed more than 1,700 Americans and 12,000 Iraqi civilians and cost $200 billion. But he argued that the sacrifice "is worth it."
"We fight today because terrorists want to attack our country and kill our citizens, and Iraq is where they are making their stand. So we will fight them there, we will fight them across the world and we will stay in the fight until the fight is won."
He offered no shift in course in Iraq and said he did not believe it necessary to send more troops. U.S. forces in Iraq total just under about 140,000 and they constitute the bulk of the coalition fighting force.
Appearing on television news shows Wednesday, some key lawmakers took issue with that position.
Sen. John McCain, interviewed on CBS's "The Early Show," maintained that "one of the very big mistakes early on was that he didn't have enough troops on the ground, particularly after the initial victory, and that's still the case."
Sen. John Kerry, Bush's Democratic opponent in last year's presidential election, told NBC's "Today" show that the borders of Iraq "are porous" and said "we don't have enough troops" there.
Sen. Joseph Biden Jr., appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America," disputed Bush's notion that sufficient troops are in place.
"I'm going to send him the phone numbers of the very generals and flag officers that I met on Memorial Day when I was in Iraq," the Delaware Democrat said. "There's not enough force on the ground now to mount a real counterinsurgency."
Biden argued, "The course that we are on now is not a course of success. He (Bush) has to get more folks involved. He has to stand up that army more quickly."
McCain, R-Ariz., did defend Bush's call to stop terrorism abroad before it reaches the U.S. shore. Appearing on CNN's "Larry King Live" program, McCain said that those spreading violence in Iraq "are the same guys who would be in New York if we don't win in Iraq."
Bush's speech marked the first anniversary of the transfer of power from the U.S.-led coalition to Iraq's interim government. The president cited advances in the past year, including the January elections, infrastructure improvements and training of Iraqi security forces.
Democrats also criticized Bush for not offering more specifics about how to achieve success in Iraq along with his frequent mention of the Sept. 11 attacks.
"The president's numerous references to September 11 did not provide a way forward in Iraq," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said. "They only served to remind the American people that our most dangerous enemy, namely Osama bin Laden, is still on the loose and al-Qaida remains capable of doing this nation great harm nearly four years after it attacked America."
Bush urged Americans to remember the lessons of Sept. 11 and protect "the future of the Middle East" from men like bin Laden. He repeatedly referred to the insurgents in Iraq as terrorists and said they were killing innocent people to try to "shake our will in Iraq, just as they tried to shake our will on September the 11th, 2001."
Bush again rejected suggestions that he set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq or send in more troops. Setting a timetable would be "a serious mistake" that could demoralize Iraqis and American troops and embolden the enemy, he said.
The president also said that sending more troops would undermine the U.S. strategy of training Iraqis to be able to as quickly as possible take over the security of their country.
"Sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever," he said.
Beyond their criticism, Some Democrats said they thought Bush strengthened his credibility. "I think he told the American people why it's important," said Biden.
Said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.: "The president needs to do more of what he did last evening. This is a beginning."
I will admit I've been rather puzzled by the Dems screaming for more troops. And it's only the Dems who keep floating the draft idea, oddly enough.
You could be right - it's part of a convoluted strategy that involves pushing Bush to send more troops, stirring up feeling in the US against this very thing by threatening a draft, etc., and then stepping back and making it look as if it were all Bush's fault. The Dems have an incredible ability to pull flim-flams of this nature. Too bad they devote their time to this instead of to thinking up positive, constructive things they could do to actually help their country.
Bookmarking
Thanks Peach
You are more than welcome. The link to bookmark that contains all those links, and more, is this one:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1327993/posts
Yeah, but she's not an "actress".
A subtle distinction, but perhaps you're right.
Pete
Touche! We kill them there because they are pouring in by the hundreds to fight us "there". I as well as everyone on FreeRepublic love, admire and pray for our troops everyday and for our president. We know it is not easy to see great men and women dying but this is what will ensure the security of America in the future.
We cannot stick our heads in the sand and pretend "they" are not out there to hurt us because "they" are.
This morning on WIOD 610 in Miami, the spokesperson for the Florida Democratic Party was being interviewed and he just kept repeating the mantra of "The President needs to lay out a plan for winning the war and a date of withdrawal". He just kept repeating this stupid, stupid remarks. To the benefit of the interviewer he asked how can we lay out a plan in public or a withdrawal date so the terrorists can know it.
Also, two people called in both against the Demos. One was an African American female who said that she was so glad she was a black republican because the Demos are just so stupid. She kept repeating the word stupid.
I truly believe the Democrats are finally being seen for who they truly are. Thank God.
FYI y'all.
I emailed President Bush about 2 weeks ago and begged him to come out swinging against all the critics of the Iraq battle in the War on Terror, and to let the soldiers know he is still strong behind them, as are the American people, and to shore up the weak-kneed Americans among us. I told him so many of us who support him and our military were feeling like we weren't getting the back-up of his administration as we fight the battle within at home.
I am composing an email now thanking him for such a good speech, and for following my advice, and that this time I would wave my consulting fee, but the next time...
lololol
The Rules!
I am really getting tired of this analogy which they keep trotting out and repeating as if there were some rationale in it.
If we used this same logic during WWII, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor would never have resulted in us carrying the war to all the Axis Powers and invading Europe.
But then, genuine historical parallels have never been the strong suit of Liberals. Whining, deception and undercutting our war effort is.
It must really suck to be a Democrat these days. Every time they do or say something it's like watching a second lieutenant on his first day at the .45 range.
Bump for FR Library
Bump for later
Good one. I hope the WH enjoyed it as well!
Al Qaeda is to terror what the Mafia is to crime. But its goal is not making money; its gaol is remaking the world-and imposing its radical beliefs on people everywhere.
President George W. Bush, Address to a joint session of Congress, September 20,2001
Excerpt with emphasis added.
The truth will always come out no matter what.
Separation of church and state, don'tchaknow?
LOL... you're right, of course.... silly me!
Some Democrats quickly accused him of reviving a questionable link to the war in Iraq
Or OKC. Iraqi fingerprints are all over it. Read Jayna Davis' book- 'The Third Terrorist'
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