Bush Pours Cold Water on Iraq War Talk

Reuters via Yahoo! ^ | Wed Aug 21, 5:05 PM ET | By Mark Egan

[Momaw Nadon]

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush on Wednesday brushed aside speculation about imminent military action against Iraq, saying he was a patient man who would first consult with U.S. allies and Congress.

Bush said the subject of Iraq -- and his repeated calls for Saddam Hussein's ouster -- did not come up during a meeting with top national security advisers, dismissing "intense speculation" about military action any time soon.

"We take all threats seriously and we will continue to consult with our friends and allies," Bush told reporters when asked about Iraq. "The American people know my position, and that is, that regime change is in the interests of the world.

"I'm a patient man," he said. "We will look at all options and we will consider all technologies available to us, and diplomacy and intelligence. But one thing is for certain ... this administration agrees that Saddam Hussein is a threat."

In addition to Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, Gen. Richard Myers, the chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and others attended the meeting at Bush's ranch.

With the world watching for any hints the United States was prepared to take action to topple Saddam, the White House said the talks were to focus on reforming the military's weapons, strategy and finances, and developing a system to defend the country against a missile attack.

"The Pentagon is forward thinking, is aggressive in its approach to developing systems that will more likely be able to respond to what we're going to face," said Bush, dressed in khakis and a casual shirt, after the session.

"The subject (of Iraq) didn't come up in this meeting," said Bush, who called the intense interest in Saddam Hussein a "frenzy."

SADDAM IS TOP PRIORITY FOR BUSH

Bush has made ousting Saddam a top priority, saying the Iraqi leader is developing weapons of mass destruction and must be stopped before he can use them against the United States or its allies, or share them with terrorist groups.

However, Bush said much of the meeting was spent discussing how best to spend money to "better protect ourselves and our friends and allies from the true threats of the 21st century."

The administration has said rogue states like Iraq comprise the No. 1 threat to American security.

Later while visiting Army troops at Fort Hood, Texas, Rumsfeld said Bush was considering whether to go to war with Iraq, but had made no decision. "He's thinking about it, but..." Rumsfeld said. He paused and was cut off by laughter.

In response to questions, the secretary also chided Russia for making trade deals and otherwise openly boosting its relations with Iraq, North Korea, Syria and other countries Washington accuses of supporting terrorism. But he said if the United States went to war with Iraq, he doubted it would damage ties between Washington and Moscow.

Rumsfeld told the troops he thought Russia's interests were more in line with the West and "somewhat stronger than their old relationship with Iraq. And I therefore think it would not have an adverse effect on our relationship."

While Bush poured cold water on what he called "churning" speculation about Iraq, a leading congressional Republican said war with Baghdad was inevitable.

"APPEASERS" CONDEMNED

"The question is not whether to go to war, for war has already been thrust upon us," fiery Texas conservative Tom DeLay, the No. 3 Republican in the House of Representatives, said in a speech in Houston.

"The only choice is between victory and defeat. And let's be clear, we must choose victory, a victory that cannot be secured at the bargaining table," said DeLay, who derided those Republicans who have spoken out against war as "appeasers."

Critics of U.S. military action against Iraq, including close American allies, worry such a move would set a dangerous precedent -- a pre-emptive war to head off a possible threat -- and undermine the U.S.-led war on terrorism. They also have expressed concern about the stability and viability of Iraq after Saddam's possible ouster.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has said Germany would not take part in a U.S. action against Iraq. On Tuesday, Canada said it would not aid U.S.-led military action against Baghdad unless it had stronger evidence of imminent Iraqi aggression.

Opposing views also came from some members of Bush's Republican Party, including Brent Scowcroft, who as national security adviser helped the president's father, President George Bush, build an international coalition for the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq that ended with Saddam still in power.

[Momaw Nadon]

FYI and discussion

I did a FR search and did not see that this paricular article had been posted yet.

[johnb838]

Well I just don't know what to say.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"Any way the wind blows, doesn't really matter..... to me."
- F. Mercury, 1973

[Becwin]

I don't see Bush saying he won't go after Saddam. Reuters wishful thinking.

[PhiKapMom]

Guess everyone expects President to give the time and date of the attack on Iraq to take out Sadaam. If anyone thinks that President Bush is going to back down because Brent Snowcroft and the guy from Germany along with other naysayers say he should, better think again!

If Brent Snowcroft's expertise was wanted by this Administration, he would be asked -- nope he has to go public so someone will pay attention to him. It is obvious he is not in the know.

This is President George W. Bush's not President George H.W. Bush's Administration. BTW, I don't remember Snowcroft much from the Gulf War -- seems to me that Cheney was the one outfront on the Gulf War!

[mhking]

Well, W is not gonna say "The bombing starts in five minutes..."

Oh, Saddam'll know his ticket is about to get punched, but it'll happen when everyone is good and damn well ready. We all (including me) need to be patient.

There's plenty of good football coming up on the tube for the next few weeks. That'll hold ya until you can go home to watch the war on TV...

[PoorMuttly]

I once had a Brent Scowcroft...but it got better.

[areafiftyone]

I did a FR search and did not see that this paricular article had been posted yet.

Bush: Iraq Change in World Interest. This article is about as close as you can get. Some of the words are different though and the title is different.

[Mo1]

I'm a patient man," he said. "We will look at all options and we will consider all technologies available to us, and diplomacy and intelligence. But one thing is for certain ... this administration agrees that Saddam Hussein is a threat."

There is an old saying .. All good things come to those who wait

When the time is right and everything is in place .. then he'll give the order

[Deb]

In the LA Times this morning, there was a teeny, tiny little item buried deep inside the paper that said an elite reserve unit was being called up for a secret deployment. Destination, unknown. Mission, unknown.

[SpringheelJack]

This headline appears to be more smoke and spin than anything else; if I had written the byline based on what Bush actually said in the article, I would have written "Bush declares Saddam a threat; regime change in 'interest of the world'"

[Diddle E. Squat]

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see,
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,
Because I'm easy come, easy go, little high, little low,
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me.

Mama, I just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead.
Mama, life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away.
Mama, ooh, didn't mean to make you cry,
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters.

Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time.
Goodbye, ev'rybody, I've got to go,
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.
Mama, ooh, I don't want to die,
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all.

I see a little silhouette of a man,
Scare a moose, Scare a moose, will you do the Fandango?
Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me.
(Galileo.) Galileo. (Galileo.) Galileo. Galileo. Figaro. Magnifico.
I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me.
He's just a poor boy from a poor family,
Spare him his life from this monstrosity.
Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?
Bismillah! No, we will not let you go.
(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go.
(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go.
(Let me go.) We'll not let you go.
(Let me go.) We'll not let you go. (Let me go.) Ah.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
(Oh mama mia, mama mia.) Mama mia, let me go.
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me.

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye.
So you think you can love me and leave me to die.
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here.

Nothing really matters, anyone can see,
Nothing really matters,
Nothing really matters to me.
Any way the wind blows...

[r9etb]

Well I just don't know what to say.

How 'bout, Psych!

The "consultation with Congress" clarification is proper, constitutionally correct, and good politics, too.

The "consultation with our allies" part is boilerplate, and probably good diplomacy. It won't make any difference if we decide something needs to be done.

The apparent backing-off from war talk is probably two things: first, it works to increase Iraqi confusion concerning our ultimate aims. Second, it impugns the NYT's "sources" for the "secret plans" they've been publishing. (I also suspect that the "immanent war" talk is mostly a case of media -- and DNC -- wishful thinking.)

[SpringheelJack]

Bush: Iraq Change in World Interest. This article is about as close as you can get. Some of the words are different though and the title is different.

That's what this article's headline should have been; unfortunately the reporter (or his editor) let his own political agenda get in the way.

[kaktuskid]

Wait for the next new moon.

[Momaw Nadon]

The author is also different.

[Teacher317]

A more accurate title would have been
"Bush Pours Cold Water on Talk of Imminent War with Iraq",
but this is Reuters, so accuracy is not a priority.

(Hmmm, could that be their new byline? LOL)

[mystery-ak]

What Bush said today he has repeatedly said before....the press jumped the gun as usual and had us going to war any day now.
Maybe they ought to start paying attention to what Bush actually says instead of what they *think* he is saying.
We are not ready yet....patience.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I'm not convinced that this is 'an apparent backing off from war', which has the premise that we were on a path toward attacking soon. I continue to bet that it will be after the election before any major attack, for a variety of reasons. A few political, but primary logistical and strategical. Bush has always been on a course to first get our ducks in a row, and some housecleaning was clearly needed. Nothing has changed, other than the media starting to now figure that their jumping to conclusions(war anyday now) may once again have been in error.

[johnb838]

Reading the conservative columnists on Townhall.com today, I couldn't help noticing the frustrated tone of many including Pat Buchanan and Michael Kelly.

I could go there too but G-Dub has not let me down yet and I'm going to keep the faith.

One thing I've learned from here... he has to do this buildup quite differently from Poppy. Poppy wanted to be as public as possible to try to get Sodom to back down. W is having to do it on the Q-T, and enough is leaking out to show that there is a lot going on behind the scenes.