The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people – and it is unacceptable to me. Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely. They have done everything we have asked them to do. Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me.
Our past efforts to secure Baghdad failed for two principal reasons: There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighborhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents. And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have.
I have committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them – five brigades – will be deployed to Baghdad. These troops will work alongside Iraqi units and be embedded in their formations. Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs.
Succeeding in Iraq also requires defending its territorial integrity – and stabilizing the region in the face of the extremist challenge. This begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq. Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops. We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.
We are also taking other steps to bolster the security of Iraq and protect American interests in the Middle East. I recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group to the region. We will expand intelligence sharing – and deploy Patriot air defense systems to reassure our friends and allies. We will work with the governments of Turkey and Iraq to help them resolve problems along their border. And we will work with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating the region.
To step back now would force a collapse of the Iraqi government…Such a scenario would result in our troops being forced to stay in Iraq even longer, and confront an enemy that is even more lethal. If we increase our support at this crucial moment, and help the Iraqis break the current cycle of violence, we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home.
Honorable people have different views, and they will voice their criticisms. It is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny. And all involved have a responsibility to explain how the path they propose would be more likely to succeed.
And throughout our history, Americans have always defied the pessimists and seen our faith in freedom redeemed.
Did we watch the same speech? I don't think I've ever seen Bush more wooden and sound less convincing. I was painfully aware that he was reading a teleprompter the entire speech. Contrast this to "either you're with us or with the terrorists" speeches which he delivered with force and conviction. Tell me which speech he really believed in and which one he was merely delivering?
I watched the whole speech, and for me, 2 things stand out.
1) In place of the "Bubble Boy" I have known Bush to be was a president who seemed to be aware of the situation.
2) In a move reminiscent of Ronald Reagan, Bush actually took responsibility. It is the first time I have ever seen him do this. It is a good move.
All in all, although I have been against the troop surge, I am now inclined to let Bush try it. This is, however, his last chance. If he blows this, I cannot begin to imagine the number of people, even those in his own party, who will be calling for his scalp. On the other hand, if this move somehow stabilizes the situation enough for our troops to redeploy, Bush will be seen as a hero, although the odds are against him. Let him try it though. He has already had 4 years to make it work. Why not give him another 6 months? The results cannot be any worse than what we have now, and things could actually get a little better. It's worth a try. This ends my 180 degree about face on the subject.
I'd prefer a wooden speech that makes sense over a passionate speech that sounds stupid.
This is exactly what the speech was intended to do, and by this measure, I'd say it was a success.
Bush said:Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me.
He sounds good so far, no big screwups, good presentation. It may have taken 6 years, but hes finally becoming a decent speaker.
I think he made a lot of good points and I think our left wing friends should give him a chance.
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