Startling and Clear: Bush Rejects His Critics

Times of London ^ | January 11, 2007 | Gerard Baker

[RWR8189]

President Bush's address to the nation last night was not just a rejection of the political clamor at home for an early withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. It was not simply a rebuff to those in his own party and in the Pentagon who believe that victory in Iraq is irretrievable from the mire in which the US finds itself. It was not merely an admission of mistakes in the execution of this calamitous war so far.

It was a clarion reaffirmation, even in the midst of unparalleled adversity, of the entire foreign policy strategy that drove the Bush administration in the weeks and months after September 11, 2001. It was a defiant and ringing rededication of a beleaguered president in the final two years of his term to the revolution in global affairs he unleashed five years ago.

Almost from the moment Mr Bush was re-elected in 2004, the smart money in foreign policy circles has said that the president was steadily abandoning the platform of unilateral pre-emptive use of US power to face down threats and aggressively promote democracy in the Middle East. Condoleezza Rice's State Department has done its best to repair much of the deep rift with the rest of the world that was produced in Mr Bush's first term. The US has backed the European-led diplomatic approach to resolving the crisis over Iran's nuclear ambitions. She has focused as far as possible on emphasising the positives, the common values and interests the US shares with the rest of the civilized world. In the rest of the world, continuing disdain for President Bush has

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It was a clarion reaffirmation, even in the midst of unparalleled adversity, of the entire foreign policy strategy that drove the Bush administration in the weeks and months after September 11, 2001. It was a defiant and ringing rededication of a beleaguered president in the final two years of his term to the revolution in global affairs he unleashed five years ago.

Love it!!!!

Text of speech posted:

Full text: Bush address on Iraq Jan 10,2007

[smoothsailing]

One word:

LEADERSHIP.

[lowbridge]

Startling and Clear: Bush Rejects His Critics

See my tagline. :-)

[MikeHu]

What the liberal press doesn't mention are the 5 1/2 million lives saved since 9/11/01.

3,000 lives in one day X 365 days X 5+ years.

[Eagles6]

But much more striking was the blunt warning to Syria and Iran to stop interfering in Iraq and a reminder of the threat Iran's nuclear programme poses to the US. That warning and reminder followed the unusual appointment of an admiral as head of central command, where the main current conflicts are two large ground wars, a move that surely hints that the administration is seriously considering a military approach by air and sea to defanging the Iranian threat.

[paul51]

And...

Mr Bush's message was startling and clear - there is No Turning Back under this presidency. He remains defiant in the teeth of rising domestic political opposition, unsettling military doubts about the efficacy of the Iraq strategy and deepening international contempt for both his objectives of remaking the Middle East and his chosen means of deploying US power to do it.

[webheart]

Why is it that Mr. Bush only says such things once a year? These kinds of speeches would be very nice in the weeks leading up to a national election.

[ishabibble]

>>>It was a clarion reaffirmation, even in the midst of unparalleled adversity, of the entire foreign policy that drove the Bush administration in the weeks and months after September 11,2001. It was a defiant and ringing rededication of a beleaguered president in the final two years of his term to the revolution in global affairs he unleashed five years ago.<<<

Yep. That's our Dubya! The Europeans are so damn desperate that we not leave Iraq. Otherwise, they'd actually have to participate. They totally deserve what they are getting.

[skr]

I can only guffaw (with lady-like delicacy, of course) at your tagline. Matt Damon, indeed.

[nopardons]

BTTT

[nopardons]

It sure is!

[AmericanMade1776]

Odd, I reject President Bush's critics too.

[neverhillorat]

Sen. Durbin and the rest of the Rats have just lost the next bazillion elections. Here America stands, in a winnable war against the kind of people that have no problem blowing them selves up just so they can kill us and the President of the United States, our Commander in Chief outlines a new strategy for victory. What do the Rats do? Are they standing with the President, supporting the War effort, telling the killers in Iraq that they are facing an united America? Nope! Instead, Dickie boy says to our enemies, "Hold on guys, don`t give up now. Just keep on killing and with in 6 months, we`ll be gone and its all yours!" When the American people realize that is really what he said, as THE voice of the Rat party, it`s going to be all over.
SUPPORT OUR PRESIDENT

[Lancey Howard]

Condoleezza Rice's State Department has done its best to repair much of the deep rift with the rest of the world that was produced in Mr Bush's first term.

LMAO!!!
I love it when Bush tells the scumbag communist State Department to go play in the street.

[MikeHu]

He didn't become the president to win elections.

He became the president to win the war (against terrorism) -- that the Democrats and liberal press think we need to surrender to, or at least pull our pants down and bend over as they know how to lead us in.

[Fred Nerks]

[ishabibble]

BRAVO! Mr. Gerard Baker Times London BRAVO! PASS THE WORD!

[Shelayne]

I can only guffaw (with lady-like delicacy, of course) at your tagline. Matt Damon, indeed.

**grin**I wasn't quite so lady-like, I snorted.

Please tell me that Chris Matthews was being silly and not serious. This reaffirms why I have MSNBC blocked on all my TVs.

[syriacus]

The best defense is a good offense. Bush has taken the bull by the horns, so to speak.

I think the Iraqis ought to choose another city to be their capital. They'd save everyone a good deal of trouble.