Posted on 03/12/2006 10:06:07 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
By Matt Davis
BBC News, Washington
Fighting continues in Iraq nearly three years after the invasion
President George W Bush renews his push for the hearts and minds of the American people on Monday with the first in a new series of speeches designed to convince a sceptical public that the US has a coherent strategy to win the war in Iraq.
The speech at George Washington University comes amid great concern in the White House at polls suggesting a growing number of Americans disapprove of the president's handling of the war, and doubt the prospects for success.
Conflict in Iraq continues to overshadow the domestic agenda Mr Bush set out in January in a State of the Union address supposed to reinvigorate his faltering second term.
But with the third anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom fast approaching, it is an issue that the president cannot avoid confronting head on.
In his national radio address on Saturday, Mr Bush said Monday's speech would focus on the security aspect of the US Strategy for Victory in Iraq - defeating insurgents and training Iraqi security forces.
He said the Iraqi forces - who now number some 240,000 - had "made great strides in the past year" and praised their response to the recent bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, that has touched off increased violence.
The president is also expected to talk about new progress in defeating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) - "the main threat to US troops" - and argue that the pictures of rising casualties and sectarian fighting obscure progress under way.
But he will also acknowledge the unpleasant realities of the conflict - and Americans' response to them.
'Eye-level view'
A recent poll suggested that four out of five Americans believe Iraq's ongoing sectarian violence will escalate into civil war.
I am confident that our strategy will result in victory, and then our troops can come home with the honour they have earned
George W Bush
"Amid the daily news of car bombs and kidnappings and brutal killings, I can understand why many of our fellow citizens are now wondering if the entire mission was worth it," the president said on Saturday.
He added: "By helping the Iraqi people build a free and representative government, we will deny the terrorists a safe haven to plan attacks against America.
"The security of our country is directly linked to the liberty of the Iraqi people. This will require more difficult days of fighting and sacrifice, yet I am confident that our strategy will result in victory, and then our troops can come home with the honour they have earned."
Further speeches in the coming weeks will attempt to bring the view of the conflict "from 30,000 feet down to eye level", White House officials say.
In one address Mr Bush is expected to focus on the military's evolving strategy for dealing with IEDs - for which a new high-level command has been established at the Pentagon.
Reports say another will comprise a case study of an Iraqi town or city to illustrate the US policy of clearing insurgents, installing Iraqi forces and rebuilding.
Events on the ground
Vice President Dick Cheney and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will also speak out on Iraq ahead of the anniversary of the invasion on 20 March.
The public relations campaign mirrors a similar series of speeches that began last November, and which briefly helped boost the president's approval ratings - now hovering at around 41%.
But events on the ground will continue to be the biggest driver of US public opinion on the war.
The administration is hoping that progress on the political, economic and security fronts will vindicate its "stay the course" policy.
And allow commanders on the ground to start bringing the troops home.
ok, FR hateflame suit on, but clearly no one was planning on the current situation in iraq 3 years ago. the US public was not subjected to pre-event psyop indoctrination consistent with many incremental government changes, programs, etc.
If you disagree and want to tell me that the current level of insurrection, al-sadr militia activism (actively controlling or patrolling many areas), govt-sponsored death squads recently admitted to existing, etc. are part of the original plan please say so clearly.
I wish the President the best of luck. He's gonna need it. Right now many conservatives are opposing Bush, some Republicans too and a majority of the American people are doubting his rhetoric on the issue of Iraq. The future of the WOT is on the line.
marker
I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at. I happen to support the President in his efforts in WOT and the conflict in Iraq. More and more Americans are starting to oppose Bush on these issues. I sincerely wish him the best. Bush needs to get his message out and regain the upper hand, before its too late. Questions about the aftermath phase of the invasion of Iraq have existed since the get-go. I was never too thrilled with priorities like nation building and spreading democracy to the Islamic world. I wanted our military forces to get in to Iraq, get rid of Saddam and his regime, and then get out of the way. Just not out of Iraq. The US needs bases for future military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the entire ME region.
President Bush's biggest problem is, and always has been, pride and arrogance. I'm guessing that I'll have to put my flamesuit on also, but he seems to have the attitude that he does not have to explain, if even a little, many of his decisions very often or very well.
Think I'm wrong? Why is it that every few months we hear about he is going to "renew" efforts to shore up support for the war? Considering that a large portion of this war is over public perception this should be a top priority, not something to spend a few weeks every six months, or before elections, on. I know that the media is complicit in trying to tear down everything that the President does and it's fine if he doesn't want to sink their level. But what is stopping him from regularly taking his case directly to the people, instead of relying on FR, talk radio, etc., to do it for him?
A perfect example is the ports deal. Whether you think the deal was good or bad, almost all of the support and explanations for the deal were made by those on talk radio, and some here on FR. All we really heard from the President on this matter was that he wanted the deal to go through, period. Again, I know that the media was complicit in undermining it, but again, he could have defended and supported it directly with at least as much vigor as those who were opposed to it. But it never happened.
IMO, President Bush absolutely made the right decision in going into Iraq. And the ports deal probably wasn't nearly as bad as the media, dems, and RINOs were making it out to be. But if the President wants what's best for this country, and I'm positive that he does, then getting out there, making a case directly to the citizens of this country, and working to get as many people on board as possible is essential. Sadly, the President doesn't seem to take much of an interest in doing this.
Flame away!
Why? I basically agree with you.
I should have addressed that to everyone on the thread, not you. I know that some people here can get a bit testy if someone here doesn't think that Bush is perfect at everything, and that any perceived flaw is really just a stroke of Machiavellian genius.
No need to flame you at all. The Bush White House has been terrible at communication. Just look at the Press Secretary for starters. And it pretty much extends all the way through the administration.
The only time that I ever thought they began to approach communicating well was over Social Security. IMHO, the wrong issue to start with. Most Americans didn't appear to get what he was talking about or just ignored it entirely. I kept hearing old people saying that he was goiong to take away their social security (when I heard him say the exact opposite in front of them on the TV). *shrugs shoulders*
Many FReepers take more offense to the criticism against Bush, then Bush takes offense to it.
So true
snip..."Conflict in Iraq continues to overshadow the domestic agenda Mr Bush set out in January in a State of the Union address supposed to reinvigorate his faltering second term. "
snip..."A recent poll suggested that four out of five Americans believe Iraq's ongoing sectarian violence will escalate into civil war".
The Democrat and the media say - the American people were not told this was going to be a war - or take so long - or - and all the other stupid comments.
How can the Democrats and the media really believe we are so ignorant of what our men and women were headed into. Can they themselves really believe this was going to be an in and out deal.
After living under Saddam's rule for so long, did the Democrats and the media really think that the Iraqi's would run out their doors to join with us, to follow us. That the Iraqi's would place their lives in our hands without developing a trust that we would not run in and run out leaving them with the consequences. Consequences that they were very familiar with - husbands, wives, children, mothers and fathers imprisoned never to be seen again or shot in the streets, raped, beaten. The Democrats and the media have continually given the terrorist support and encouragement with their rants on TV interview, newspaper article, speeches on the Senate and House Floors, the impeachment threats and the constant "bring our men and woman home". Week after week there is a new issue the Democrats and the media run into the ground, drop as quickly as it started, and dive into another issue. Ever read the Rockefeller memo?
The Democrats have everything well planned. It is too sad that the Democrats and the media don't use that energy in a positive way and work with President Bush - we just may have been on our way home. But instead we are fighting not only the War on Terror but the Democrats and the media. Our men and women are dying and I place the blame on the Democrats and the media.
You can not have a leader called a dummy, stupid, Nazi, Chaney is really running the country - it goes on and on and our men and women are dying because of the Democrats and the media who are empowering the enemy and they know they are.
Iraqi forces now number some 240,000 and have "made great strides in the past year".
Please, I ask the Democrats, the media, all the people who have lost faith/trust to give the 240,000 Iraqi soldiers and our President and our men and woman the respect and the honor they deserve and support this effort because ... as President Bush has said
"By helping the Iraqi people build a free and representative government, we will deny the terrorists a safe haven to plan attacks against America."
"The security of our country is directly linked to the liberty of the Iraqi people. This will require more difficult days of fighting and sacrifice, yet I am confident that our strategy will result in victory, and then our troops can come home with the honor they have earned."
excellent points.
The thing that could not be anticipated was how the media would come out against the war and our efforts and spend every waking moment attacking Bush, attacking everybody in his administration, and undermining American confidence. I think this also has contributed in a major way to the difficulties in pacifying Iraq, since they see us as undecided and fragmented and see Bush as having no support.
That said, I don't think it's arrogance that has kept Bush from speaking out, but a sort of hopelessness in the face of the hostility of the media. He has had a terrible press staff that has done him no favors (well, since Ari left). Every time he spoke on anything, his words were picked apart, twisted and published so out of context that yet another firestorm would erupt. So ultimately the media achieved its goal of silencing him and letting them define the agenda.
Personally, I think it's too late to do much about Iraq in terms of PR. But it would be nice if Bush would come out and seize the initiative on some other issue, rather than letting the hostile media call the shots.
It would be helpful if democrats and the MSM weren't offering aid and comfort to the enemy.
Unholy Alliance : Radical Islam and the American Left (Hardcover)
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And a review:
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Communism is dead. Long live Islam!, September 30, 2004
| Reviewer: | Kevin Beckman (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews |
No more need be said IMO. Arrogance or ingnorance, not sure which, but in the absence of fact presented by Bush, the liberals will make them up. Bush doesn't use the bully pulpit at all. However, where this administration has really lost my support is on the homefront. Entitlement spending and immigration specifically.
It won't be until we start drawing down forces and the level of violence stays the same or decreases will people wake up to the fact that we have already won.
But since in this society that want everything fast food if the country hasn't been built from the ground up in less than a year everyone has a panic attack.
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