Bush Rejects Calls for Iraq Withdrawal Timetable
30 November 2005
President Bush says that setting an artificial deadline to withdraw from Iraq would send the wrong signal to allies and enemies of the United States.
Speaking at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland, Mr. Bush says U.S. forces will stay as long as necessary to complete the mission, and that he will listen to commanders on the ground to tell him how many troops are needed.
He says if those commanders tell him more U.S. troops are needed, he will send more.
But he says that as Iraqi forces assume more responsibility, U.S. forces will increasingly move out of Iraqi cities and conduct fewer patrols.
Opinion polls indicate the war in Iraq has become increasingly unpopular with the American public, and Mr. Bush has come under increasing pressure to outline a plan for completing U.S. operations there.
President Bush says Iraq's upcoming election sends the message that Iraqis will not be intimidated by terrorists.
The U.S. leader says Iraqis are showing courage and moving forward to build a democracy in the heart of the Middle East. He vowed the United States will help them succeed.
Mr. Bush says the U.S. strategy in Iraq is clear and is to bring victory against a brutal enemy. He says victory in Iraq will demand the continued resolve of the U.S. people at a time when there is vigorous debate about the war itself.
Mr. Bush says questions about the mission in Iraq can be unsettling for U.S. troops. But he stressed that the American people support their soldiers and that a great strength of U.S. democracy is that Americans can openly discuss their opinions and differences.
Mr. Bush says most people want to see U.S. troops win and come home as soon as possible. He says victory will come when terrorists can no longer threaten democracy in Iraq.
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