Yet the President is not wavering in his determination to win the Iraq War:
Since America began military operations in Iraq, the conflict there has gone through four major phases. The first phase was the liberation of Iraq from Saddam Hussein. The second phase was the return of sovereignty to the Iraqi people and the holding of free elections. The third phase was the tragic escalation of sectarian violence sparked by the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra.
We've entered a fourth phase: deploying reinforcements and launching new operations to help Iraqis bring security to their people. I'm going to explain why the success of this new strategy is vital for protecting our people and bringing our troops home, which is a goal shared by all Americans. I'll brief you on the report we are sending to Congress. I'll discuss why a drawdown of forces that is not linked to the success of our operations would be a disaster.
As President, my most solemn responsibility is to keep the American people safe. So on my orders, good men and women are now fighting the terrorists on the front lines in Iraq. I've given our troops in Iraq clear objectives. And as they risk their lives to achieve these objectives, they need to know they have the unwavering support from the Commander-in-Chief, and they do. And they need the enemy to know that America is not going to back down. So when I speak to the American people about Iraq, I often emphasize the importance of maintaining our resolve and meeting our objectives.
As a result, sometimes the debate over Iraq is cast as a disagreement between those who want to keep our troops in Iraq and those who want to bring our troops home. And this is not the real debate. I don't know anyone who doesn't want to see the day when our brave servicemen and women can start coming home.
In my address to the nation in January, I put it this way: If we increase our support at this crucial moment we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home. The real debate over Iraq is between those who think the fight is lost or not worth the cost, and those that believe the fight can be won and that, as difficult as the fight is, the cost of defeat would be far higher.
I believe we can succeed in Iraq, and I know we must. So we're working to defeat al Qaeda and other extremists, and aid the rise of an Iraqi government that can protect its people, deliver basic services, and be an ally in the war against these extremists and radicals. By doing this, we'll create the conditions that would allow our troops to begin coming home, while securing our long-term national interest in Iraq and in the region.
I mark the phases differently, based on military stages rather than more political phases as he does, but he is right about what we face now and why we are in this phase.
And his determination to fight until we win is absolutely correct, notwithstanding the many stories that project the hopes of the writers or those interviewed that the President will decide to run from the war and his responsibilities. This has been a constant theme of the anti-war media and politicians since summer 2004. Yet the president has waged this war despite the many stories that he was about to retreat for political considerations.
Congresscritters may want to scamper for safety; but if this President will hold fast, his stand may yet rally some of the wavering Senators who seek the false security of the rear.
We are winning this war and our President must buy the time we need to win no matter what the cost is to him. That's what duty is all about.
UPDATE: President Bush is holding his ground despite the wavering Republicans in Congress (I won't even speak of the pre-defeated Left):
Forget the leaks and the speculation, President George W. Bush is not looking for a way out of the surge and the Iraq war. In a session with about ten conservative journalists Friday afternoon, a confident and determined president made it clear that he is going to see the surge through, and will rely on General David Petraeus’s advice on how to proceed come September, regardless of the political climate in Washington.
The President is doing his duty. As he has from day one. I can ask for little more. Well, I've been asking for a full-court press effort to bolster our war effort every day for four years now. So I guess I can ask for more.
UPDATE: And holding firm has bought some time:
"I don't think Congress ought to be running the war. I think they ought to be funding the troops," Bush said at a White House news conference.
Leading Republicans said they remained skeptical that the buildup of 30,000 troops would work, but they appeared to have accepted the president's plea to wait until a more comprehensive Pentagon assessment is released Sept. 15 before trying to force any change in course."
In deference to the president … I think it's important that we wait until all the facts are in in September," said John W. Warner (R-Va.), former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman. Warner is working on a proposal that would call on the president to make plans to remove U.S. troops from most combat operations.
Our troops have a heavy burden the next two months to carry the war effort while shoring up the shaky Senators back home.
