Bush: Pull-out good for Qaeda

2007-08-28 22:51

Jennifer Loven

Reno - Broadening his defence of the war in Iraq, President George W Bush said on Tuesday that withdrawing US forces would allow the Middle East to be taken over by extremist forces and put the security of the United States in jeopardy.

"I want our fellow citizens to consider what would happen if these forces of radicalism and extremism were allowed to drive us out of the Middle East," Bush said to thousands of veterans at the American Legion convention.

"The region would be dramatically transformed in a way that could imperil the civilised world."

Bush got a friendly response from the veterans group in his second major speech in a week seeking to buttress support for the war.

'Domino effects of failure in Iraq'

"America will not abandon Iraq in its hour of need," said Bush.

Pointing at military progress in Iraq, Bush said, "It will take time for the recent progress we have seen in security to translate into political progress.

"Leaders in Washington need to look for ways to help our Iraqi allies succeed, not for excuses to abandon them."

Bush described the domino effects of failure in Iraq, and success - portraying the war in Iraq as the quickest way to put the entire Middle East on a path to democracy, economic expansion and stability that expels terrorist elements.

"Either the forces of extremism succeed or the forces of freedom succeed," he said.

'Our new strategy'

"Either our enemies advance their interests in Iraq, or we advance our interests. The most important and immediate way to counter the ambitions of al-Qaeda, Iran and other forces of instability and terror is to win the fight in Iraq."

Bush's speech came two weeks before the administration reports to a sceptical Congress on the impact of his build-up of US forces in Iraq.

The assessment by Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus will likely determine the fate of the US military mission in Iraq.

Eager to show progress to increasingly restive members of Congress from both parties, Bush detailed security gains from the troop increase. He also noted early signs of political progress, particularly at the local and regional level.

"Iraqis are increasingly reaching accommodations with each other," Bush said, adding that many of the political benchmarks are being achieved by Iraqis by going around the difficult and so-far unsuccessful process of passing legislation.

He qualified that praise by acknowledging that "our new strategy is showing far fewer results at the national level."

Still, he said that lawmakers should "withhold any conclusions until they can hear these men out," referring to Crocker and Petraeus.

Bush pointedly addressed critics' impatience with progress in Iraq, saying they keep moving the goal posts each time there are gains.

- AP