US Will Not Avoid Iran Challenge, Says Bush

President George W Bush rammed home yesterday the pledges in his State of the Union address that America would not retreat from its global responsibilities or shrink from the challenge of Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"We must never lose sight of our capacity to lead this world towards peace," he told a rapturous crowd in Nashville, Tennessee.

"If we ever get weary or tired or uncertain or withdraw within our boundaries the enemy is not going away," he added in an echo of Tuesday night's annual speech to a joint session of Congress.

Mr Bush's language was far less emotional than in his 2002 address when he linked Iran, Iraq and North Korea in an "axis of evil".

But he made clear that, despite America's difficulties in Iraq, America would lead the world in confronting Iran's threat.

Dismissing Iran as "a nation now held hostage by a small clerical elite that is isolating and repressing its people", he sent a message to the Iranian people.

"Let me speak directly to the citizens of Iran," he told Congress. "America respects you and we respect your country. We respect your right to choose your own future and win your own freedom. And our nation hopes one day to be the closest of friends with a free and democratic Iran."

His message delighted the neo-conservatives who have long despaired of the administration's uncertainty over how to deal with Iran and argued that America should be doing more to help Iran's opposition.

But there were no specific proposals and many regional analysts suspect that any overt US help for the opposition would be more likely to bolster support for the regime than undermine it.

Mr Bush devoted about half of his 52-minute address on Tuesday night to shoring up his foreign policy of the past five years and trying to undermine his critics in the Democratic party, some of whom are calling for a speedy withdrawal from Iraq.

"In a complex and challenging time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting - yet it ends in danger and decline," he said. "The only alternative to American leadership is a dramatically more dangerous and anxious world."

There is increasing expectation in Washington that there will be a sizeable withdrawal of America's forces ahead of November's mid-term congressional elections. Most estimates suggest the total in Iraq will go down from 140,000 to fewer than 100,000.

Mr Bush, however, was adamant yesterday that he would not give a timetable for withdrawal and that troops would return only when the mission was accomplished.

White House aides are confident that the fight against terrorism and national security remain their trump cards against the Democrats and could yet help the Republican Party retain control of Congress in November.

Seeking to capitalise on the attention paid to his State of the Union address Mr Bush began a four-week tour yesterday hoping it could be the springboard for a more successful stint in office.

His approval ratings, in the low 40s, are the lowest for a president starting his sixth year since the 1970s presidency of Richard Nixon.

"His approval ratings, in the low 40s, are the lowest for a president starting his sixth year since the 1970s presidency of Richard Nixon."

Liberals are delusional.

Liberals are delusional.

You have to admire their tenacity in sticking to their template, though. I wonder if all the Dems saying W has been too soft on Iran will back their hawkish statements if events take their seemingly inevitable conclusions (what am I saying, of course they won't).

Russia is furnishing the middle east with weapons so
our forces are weakened, resources stretched out and no military to guard our country and borders. The Democrats are communists so we can count on them to do as much damage as possible to tear down our country. The Republican globalists are sending funds to both sides of every conflict and then tell us how patriotic they are by making democracy everywhere. Russia and China are building their military while ours is being depleted. One day the Big Bear and Chinese Devils will come down on us when they see we are no longer protected at home.
While we need to look at Iran because of the problem of
nukes and our need for oil, we need to close our borders,
call the war what it really is...a religious war, and
quit passing legislature that undermines our liberties.
Bush speaks out of both sides of his mouth on just about
every subject. He's a globalist and that's where his
loyalty is, not America.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.