Is this a call on America to withdraw its troops? Will that stop the killing?
I don’t think that’s what he’s saying. I think, judging from things he’s said before, that he wants the Muslims to stop killing Christians (and each other) and wants the US to do more to ensure stability. Saddam was awful, but he was a dictator who didn’t want anybody else getting on his turf - he wasn’t about to share power with a mad mullah, and consequently he ruled with an iron fist and kept the Islamic factions down, giving Christians relative security as a result.
Personally, I don’t think the Iraqis were ready for self-government when we gave it to them, and I think there should really have been a period of very firm occupation. But Bush was under a lot of pressure to get moving and get out of there. In addition, I think he was naive; none of us knew then what we know now about Islam and the Muslim propensity for slaughter.
Aside from that, the US never protects Christians, almost as a point of pride, I think.