Bush Says Victory in Iraq ‘Achievable’

American Forces Press Service ^ | Jim Garamone

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2006 -- Victory in Iraq is achievable, and retreat from Iraq is not an option, President Bush said today during a White House news conference.

“We’re going to succeed,” he said. “We’re not succeeding near as fast as I wanted, and conditions are tough in Iraq, and particularly in Baghdad.”

But Bush called the war on terror "the calling of our generation," and said success is essential for securing peace for future generations.

Achieving this success, however, will require a sustained commitment by the American people and the military, Bush said, including a possible increase in the size of the Army and Marine Corps.

“We have an obligation to ensure the military is capable of sustaining this war over the long haul, and performing the many tasks that we ask of them,” he said. “I’m inclined to believe that we need to increase the permanent size of the United States Army and the United States Marines.”

New Defense Secretary Robert Gates will study how to accomplish this growth, the president said.

Bush said he will work with Congress to determine the best way to grow the force. “I will listen to views from all corners,” he said. “We will work with them to ensure this becomes a reality.”

The president said 2006 started out on a positive note but proved to be a difficult year for the U.S. military and the Iraqi people.

“We began the year with optimism after watching 12 million Iraqis go to the polls to vote for a unity government and a free people,” he said.

But terrorists and insurgents attacked the process, blowing up the Golden Mosque in Samarra and doing their best to bring on sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiia.
“Throughout the year, they had success,” Bush said. “Their success hurt our efforts to help the Iraqis rebuild their country. It set back reconciliation, it kept Iraq’s unity government and out coalition from establishing security and stability throughout the country.”

Bush said the United States enters 2007 “clear-eyed” about the challenges in Iraq, and steady in its purpose.

“Our goal remains a free and democratic Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself and is an ally in the war on terror,” Bush said.

The president said he would not make predictions about the mission in Iraq in the next year, but he said anything done will require additional choices and sacrifices, because the enemy is merciless and violent.

“I will make you this promise: My administration will work with Republicans and Democrats to fashion a new way forward that will succeed in Iraq,” Bush said.

He said the coalition will change its strategy and tactics whenever needed in response to the activities on the ground. He said he will never forget “that on the receiving end of the decisions I make is a private, a sergeant, a young lieutenant or a diplomat who risks his or her life to help the Iraqis realize a dream of a stable country that can defend govern and sustain itself.”

Bush said he is looking at a number of options and is listening to the opinions of many people as he fashions a new way forward in Iraq. He said one option is increasing the number of American troops in the country, but emphasized that the troops must have a clear attainable mission before he chooses that option.

Bush said the most painful aspect of his presidency “is that good men and women have died in combat” following his orders.

[SandRat]

FR WAR NEWS!

WAR News You'll Hear Nowhere Else!

All the News the MSM refuses to use!

[Firefox1]

I just talked with a marine who did 3 tours in Iraq. He says the way to stop the roadside IED's is simple. Whenever one goes off, destroy the neighborhood...flatten it. Kill anything that moves. After this happens a few times, the residents won't turn a blind eye anymore. Even the slightest hint of some joker planting an IED will send scared people into the steets with sticks, guns...whatever to get rid of the people doing it. It sounds cruel but, how many soldiers do you want to die?

The next thing is to just pour more soldiers into Baghdad...I'm talking there should be more Gi's than oxygen. This will overwhelm the thugs (clerics, Al Qaeda, other freaks) as they will be unable to operate. Next, search clear, and hold block by block. Finally, payoff the leaders to actually get community services up and running. The Iraqi's won't do anything for the good of their fellow man. However, they'll do it for cash, so just pay the bastards.

This is what a marine friend of mine said over a beer or two. Sounds good to me.

[unkus]

Sounds good to me too. We have to be ruthless, mean SOB's and they will respect us and come over. We can't be PC anymore.

[353FMG]

"We’re going to succeed,” he said."

And what will success in Iraq entail? Beating the snot out of the terrorists? And then what? Are we then going to clean up the mess here at home where Islam is starting to encroach on our American culture?

It is an outrage to send brave American men and women to fight and die in Islamic countries while continuing to allow Muslim immigration. It is like sending our sons and daughters to the front door to repel an intruder while leaving the back door open to allow entrance into the house by his accomplice.

Yeah, but we only allow peaceful Muslims in. It has been shown that often enough ‘peaceful’ American Muslims have parented jihadist children, who are as perfidious as their Al-Qaeda counterparts, resulting in an unlimited supply of homegrown terrorists.

[BenLurkin]

Not if the lefty traitors in the media and COngress can help it.

[cricket]

funny, how this amazes the 'create your reality'. . .generation. But the reality is; this hold more to the old; 'where there is a Will; there is a way'. . .et als. . .

The only thing really, standing in our way. . .is America's Will; which the Left-wing attempts on a daily basis to pound into sand.

We must keep our Will to win; as victory is the only way America should ever end a war.

[arthurus]

"...Victory is Achievable..."

Is he working at analogizing Iraq with Viet Nam? I am sure that is a quote of a number of statements made in 1969 and after. And then we pulled the plug.