In Vietnam, Bush Talks About Iraq

(CBS/AP)  Visiting a land where America suffered military defeat, President Bush urged patience for positive results in Iraq on Friday and tried to stiffen global resolve to challenge a nuclear-armed North Korea.

"For decades you had been torn apart by war," Mr. Bush said in a state banquet salute to Vietnam, Asia's fastest growing economy. "Today the Vietnamese people are at peace and seeing the benefits of reform."

In Hanoi, powerful reminders remain of the fighting three decades ago, the longest U.S. war and one that — like Iraq — bitterly divided Americans.

Asked if the experience in Vietnam offered lessons for Iraq, President Bush said, "We tend to want there to be instant success in the world, and the task in Iraq is going to take awhile."

He said "it's just going to take a long period of time" for "an ideology of freedom to overcome an ideology of hate. Yet, the world that we live in today is one where they want things to happen immediately."

"We'll succeed unless we quit," the president said.

Mr. Bush's trip was bound to be an uncomfortable reminder of the fact that he managed to avoid military service in Vietnam, CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod reports.

His talk about impatience brought a rejoinder back home from Sen. Dick Durbin, who will be the second-ranking Democrat in the new Senate.

"I think we ought to show a little impatience when it comes to the Iraqis and their unwillingness to respond to the need to change," Durbin said at a St. Louis news conference. "America has been patient. Our troops have been heroic. ... It is time for the Iraqis to stand up and defend their own country.

And the trip is inviting the last comparison the administration wants made, that the Iraq war resembles the Vietnam War. Right now, U.S. troops are bogged down, domestic opposition is growing and the presidency is under fire, Axelrod reports. And it loudly resonates here as well.

Mr. Bush is in Vietnam for the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and his first test Saturday is to persuade South Korea to fully implement U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea for testing nuclear weapons.

South Korea has balked at some of the measures, and President Bush planned to press President Roh Moo-hyun on the issue. South Korea suggests Washington needs to show more flexibility.

In weekend discussions, Mr. Bush hoped to coordinate strategy with China, Russia, Japan and South Korea for the resumption of disarmament negotiations with North Korea. President Bush was to see Japan's new prime minister, Shinzo Abe, later Saturday.

In all, leaders of 21 nations and territories are gathered here, and it is unclear whether the summit will produce a unified stand toward North Korea.

As for local Vietnamese, the turnout for the president as his motorcade moved past storefronts was far more subdued that the enthusiastic reception that greeted President Clinton six years ago. A few people waved, but most merely watched impassively. Weary of war, many here deeply disapprove of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

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[stick130]

BushRocks;
Those of you Right Wing Fascist don't want to bring up the reason Bush gave for attacking Iraq. Remember WMD's ? Mushroom clouds ? Does that get your brain "jump started" Now you want to change the reason to go to War again. Bush changes his reason for going to war as often as I change my socks. How many different stories do ya need to hear before ya believe it to be a lie?

[bushrocks1]

Would I send my son to this war? You might ask would I send him to WW II? Or Vietnam? Maybe you would distinguish those conflicts and whether you would send your son to fight in them. But that question is misdirected in a very important way: I can't command my son to go to war. He has to make that choice. So the better question would be: would I volunteer to fight in Iraq, WW II, Vietnam? Would I volunteer to fight in any war? Respond if drafted? I don%u2019t know. I'm not equivocating, only addressing that it is a hypothetical. As a hypothetical, I can say, sure I'd fight. But I have nightmares of battle (from my past life as a Jacobite). So how do I feel toward those who do volunteer? Impressed but maturely knowing that many things go into their decision. But I do strongly believe that a country who can't find those men is doomed. The fact that we can find them is one reason why I say there is no failure in Iraq. Objectively, I also believe it for other reasons. An attempt to establish democracy in the Middle East is a bold, brilliant, noble effort, facing a high chance of failure. That's why I greatly respect and admire those who have made the attempt--the Bush administration. They have been resolute, something I have not seen in my lifetime. They may not succeed, for reasons outside their control or fault: traitors on the home front, being a big one. But now those traitors have apparently occupied the high ground. Yet... we're still in Iraq. Why?... I'm waiting.

[tinker3478]

Wonder how much we could save in human life and money if we paid them to put him in a tiger cage for 4-5 years?

[lochlan-2009]

There was a column here in cbs opinion that was questioning whether or not the current Administration was trying to get people to vote the Dems. into power. You have Bush's comments before and after the elections, Cheney saying all he was going to do on election day was go hunting, now you have Bush going to VIETNAM!!! My only guess... the only way to make money (to literally force the working class to pay) is to change the field so that what once was the worst possible investment quickly becomes the best and what was the best becomes the worst. The best way to do this is to switch the powers that be, as has happened, and make sure your money is already with the companies that are going to be favorable with the new boss and "sell short and long" with the old boss.
People, realize the voice of the powerful is the media, they mobilize (i.e. brainwash) the people as if sheparding the heard. It is very dangerous for the working class to put all the power on one side and this should be seriously considered before we think of putting a Dem. in the Whitehouse while they have complete control of both houses. Just be careful people, and ask yourself why a president who's war has been compared to Vietnam several million times, has now given the opportunity for every individual in the world to make that same accusation and comparison.

[mh4cbs1]

I'm glad Bush went to Vietnam. He can see how successful the Vietnam War was. Even though we were defeated, it was only after we bombed them into the sone age, and killed over one million. So they were no threat to us after we got done with them!!

Of course he didn't tell them the real reason we are in Iraq ( Oil. DUH!) Bush says we will be successful if we don't cut and run, like we did in Vietnam. Do you think it matters if a few thousand troops get killed, or a few hundred thousand Iraqis? More people than that die of disease or starvation every month or two. So whats the big deal, stop your liberal whinning. Liberals have no stomach for War, just like Cheney said.

Bush and Cheney know that only suckers go into the military (they weren't about to go fight Vietnam in the 60's! -- not like sucker Kerry who could have gotten himself killed, and almost did). So let the suckers fight in Iraq for as long as it takes. We aren't leaving till we have control of the Oil - true success.

- NeoCons for World Dominantion! (read our PNAC papers and join the NeoCons for a new world order).

[joeshields56]

Mr. Bush said that "my first reaction is history has a long march to it, and that societies change and relationships can constantly be altered to the good."

Right... but history would have marched forward a lot more easily without all of the death and destruction we unleashed in Viet Nam. For sure it would have, for all the families both here and in Viet Nam who lost loved ones.

Too bad we didn't start reading History books before we invaded Iraq.

"The Man He Killed"
by Thomas Hardy

%u201CHad he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!

%u201CBut ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.

%u201CI shot him dead because %u2014
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That%u2019s clear enough; although

%u201CHe thought he%u2019d %u2018list, perhaps,
Off-hand like %u2014 just as I %u2014
Was out of work %u2014 had sold his traps %u2014
No other reason why.

%u201CYes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You%u2019d treat if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown.%u201D

Get out of Iraq NOW. Just put down your guns and walk out. There is not one positive thing we can accomplish by staying. It will only be worse. Iraq will figure it out ... it may not be the way some would like to see it figured out, but that's the way it will be... and in the long march of history it won't matter anyway.

[grumpas]

I see Georgie still lives in his infantile dream world of his! "The Vietnam War's lesson for today's confounding Iraq conflict is that freedom takes time to trump hatred." I don't see where hatred was ever trumped by the fiasco known as Viet Nam! It is alive and well in Iraq! Bush is going to make certain it stays alive and well by continuely stirring the simmering pot! As long as he is in office he will keep the fires of hatred burning brightly to warm his cold little heart! I don't think he is ever going to get it! He just isn't bright enough to (he is a few bricks short of a full load)! As long as he can make a photo op out of his disaster's he is going to! While our troops suffer and die for his lost cause!

[revdrdark]

The "Lessons of Viet Nam" have been learned...by the guerilla forces that we are fighting now, in Iraq. Our troops have no business fighting wars that Iraqi troops should be fighting for themselves...and show no interest in fighting. Behold, the USA prostrated before an angry world, by this born and bred, money-grubbing, lying puppet of Big Business. Rub your noses in it, Republicans. Bush cannot even keep third world Nations from acquiring the A-Bomb, since he has cost the USA hard-won prestige overseas. But, hey; at least Bush cronies lined their pockets at the expense of thousands of ordinary lives. Count the dead, young Republicans. The truth is upon you. DOWN WITH THE G.O.P! Long live the U.S.A!

[sharncedar]

"My generation paid a horrible price for Viet Nam"

And now my son's generation will pay and pay and pay Vietnam all of our money and jobs, as Bush sells us out with another "free market" deal. Especially bitter that he is rewarding communists again by destroying America.

If Bush was running a business, I guess he would increase sales by selling at a loss. OH that's right, he's never run a business or had a job. Lucky us.

[tinker3478]

If he weren't a draft-dodger, Bubba Dubya might know that we didn't win over there. 10 years cost nearly 60,000 dead, over 300,000 maimed for life, and 3 million disillusioned young men who came home to a country that was ashamed of them. How can he possibly applaud their wonderful peace. My generation paid a horrible price for Viet Nam-one that I don't want my children and grandchildren replicating in Iraq.