Bush on Iraq: “If We Can’t Win, I’ll Pull Us Out.”

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Bush on Iraq: “If We Can’t Win, I’ll Pull Us Out.”

Postby NavnDansk » Thu Oct 26, 2006 8:00 am

Headline of National Review:<br><br>Bush on Iraq: “If We Can’t Win, I’ll Pull Us Out.”<br>The president talks candidly to a group of conservative journalists.<br><br>By Byron York<br> : Published: October 25 2006 <br><br> =We have made a conscious effort not to be a body-count team,” Bush said, in a clear reference to the tabulations of enemy killed that became a hallmark of the Vietnam War. And that, in turn, “gives you the impression that [U.S. troops] are just there — kind of moving around, directing traffic, and somebody takes a shot at them and they’re down.”Bush took pains to stress that is not the case. <br><br>“Al Qaeda has got special operations teams on them every day,” he said. “The death-squad leaders — well, we had two operations today that created a little news. These boys are after them. Given actionable intelligence, they’re moving hard, and they’re pressing hard. And I don’t want to give you numbers. It’s frustrating, however, because you’re right, it’s the perception that this military power full of decent people is just getting picked off and nothing’s happening. And I share the same frustration you share.”<br><br>=Most of all, though, Bush said he realizes that the American people share that frustration, too. “People, most of them, are out there saying, ‘What are you doing? Get after ‘em,’“ Bush said.He’s heard it himself. “I’m from Texas,” Bush continued. “My buddies are saying, are you doing enough, not are you doing too little. They want to know, are we winning. They want <br>to know, this mighty country, are we doing what it takes to win?”<br><br>It would be fair to say that no one fully knew the answer to that question. At times during the conversation, the president seemed vexed — not beaten, not downcast, but vexed — by conditions in Iraq. Bush didn’t say so, but from his words it seemed hard to deny that in some significant measure the insurgents and the sectarian killers are in control in the country, and that the fate of the American mission is in their hands. “The frustration is that the definition of success has now gotten to be, how many innocent people are dying?” the president said. “And if there’s a lot dying, it means the enemy is winning.” He paused. “That doesn’t mean they’re winning.”<br><br>==<br>So if the U.S. chooses not to reveal how many of the enemy it has killed — and if, in any event, that death toll is not stopping the sectarian violence — then how does one assess what is going on? “I’ve thought long and hard about this, because it is precisely what is frustrating most people,” Bush said. “A lot of people are just saying, ‘You’re not doing enough to win. We’re not winning, you’re not doing enough to win, and I’m frustrated, I want it over with, with victory.’ And I’m trying to figure out a matrix that says things are getting better. I think that one way to measure is less violence than before, I guess…”<br><br>=The latest plan to retake the offensive on defining victory is the so-called benchmark. “The idea is to develop with the Iraqi government a series of benchmarks — oil, federalism, constitutional reform, there’s like 20 different things — and have that developed in a way that they’re comfortable with and we’re comfortable with,” Bush said. Progress toward those goals would give the administration new ways to point toward overall progress in Iraq.<br><br>==But in the end, there is still that frustration with a level of violence that U.S. forces don’t seem able to control. The consequences tear at Bush every day, but he remains convinced that the war will ultimately succeed. “If we can’t win, I’ll pull us out,” the president said.” <br><br>“If I didn’t think it was noble and just and we can win, we’re gone. I can’t — I’m not going to keep those kids in there and have to deal with their loved ones. I can’t cover it up when I meet with a family who’s lost a child. I cry, I weep, I hug. And I’ve got to be able to look them in the eye and say, we’re going to win. I have to be able to do that. And I’m not a good faker.”<br><br>“And so what I’m telling you is — we’ll win this.”<br><br>== <br><br>Frist tells Republicans to ignore Iraq<br>by Joe in DC - 10/25/2006 07:41:00 PM<br><br>Today, George Bush had a press conference that was all about Iraq. Today, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist told Republicans to ignore the biggest issue facing the country:<br><br> Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says if Republican candidates want to succeed on Election Day, they should turn their focus away from the Iraq war.<br><br> "The challenge is to get Americans to focus on pocketbook issues, and not on the Iraq and terror issue," Frist said in an interview with the Concord Monitor on Tuesday.<br><br>Sure, cause if you don't talk about it, maybe no one will notice the carnage.<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/10/frist-tells-republicans-to-ignore-iraq.html">americablog.blogspot.com/...-iraq.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br> <p></p><i></i>
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TELLING? BUSH SAYS HE HAS NO INTENTION OF STANDING IN

Postby NavnDansk » Thu Oct 26, 2006 8:07 am

TELLING? BUSH SAYS HE HAS NO INTENTION OF STANDING IN CROSSFIRE O RIVAL FACTIONS<br><br> Wednesday, 25 October 2006<br><br>In Response To: HAS BUSH REALISED HE WAS DUPED INTO IRAQ? <br><br> SECOND PARAGRAPH OF THE ABOVE ARTICLE...<br><br> THERE IT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE<br><br> IS HE IN THE "CROSSFIRE OF RIVAL FACTIONS?" YOU BET HE IS AND HAS BEEN...<br><br> MAKE OF IT WHAT YOU WILL<br><br><br> <p></p><i></i>
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“If We Can’t Win, I’ll Pull Us Out.”- Bush in Iraq?

Postby robertdreed » Thu Oct 26, 2006 8:26 am

George W. Bush is stationed in Iraq? I hadn't heard... <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=robertdreed>robertdreed</A> at: 10/26/06 6:27 am<br></i>
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Re: “If We Can’t Win, I’ll Pull Us Out.”- Bush in Iraq?

Postby darkbeforedawn » Thu Oct 26, 2006 10:57 am

Seems he's gone awol. Maybe he'll even jump ship... <p></p><i></i>
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