AL-ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, Sept. 3, 2007
Bush Envisions Possible Troop Cutbacks
But President Gives No Withdrawal Timetable As he Makes Surprise Visit To Iraq
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Play CBS Video Video Bush Sees Progress In Anbar
President Bush addressed troops in Iraq's Anbar province, where he says they have greatly helped reduce violence. He said if success continues, there may be troop drawdowns. Katie Couric reports.
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Video Couric Talks To Bush On Iraq
Only on the Web: President Bush tells Katie Couric that U.S. security is at stake in Iraq and that failure there would empower and embolden extremists.
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Video Bush Accentuates The Positive
Bob Schieffer talks to Russ Mitchell about how Bush is accentuating the positive in Iraq before Congress returns from recess calling for withdrawal.
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President Bush, left, greets troops at Al-Asad Airbase in Anbar province, Iraq, Monday, Sept. 3, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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President Bush speaking before assembled troops at Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province, Sept. 3, 2007. (CBS)
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President Bush shakes hands with Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as President Jalal Talabani looks on, at Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province, Iraq, Sept. 3, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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President Bush stands over a map as he is briefed at Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province, Iraq, Sept. 3, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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President Bush meets with a Marine combat patrol unit at Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province, Iraq, Sept. 3, 2007. Mr. Bush made the surprise visit to Iraq on Monday, using the war zone as a backdrop to argue his case that the buildup of U.S. troops is helping to stabilize the nation. (AP)
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
Once the stronghold of the Sunni Arab insurgency, Anbar province now is cited as a model for the rest of Iraq. Violence abated after Sunni tribal leaders and former insurgents broke with al Qaeda and teamed up with U.S. troops to hunt down extremists.
"Anbar is a huge province," Mr. Bush said. "It was once written off as lost. It is now one of the safest places in Iraq."
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said it will take several months to assess whether security improvements across Iraq are sufficient to enable Mr. Bush to start withdrawing troops. He provided no details on Bush's thinking about the timing and scope of any reductions.
"I am more optimistic than I have been at any time since I took this job," said Gates.
Mr. Bush met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other top government officials from Baghdad. He urged the government to respond to progress in Anbar. He also met with Sunni tribal sheiks and members of Anbar's governing body.
Mr. Bush spoke warmly about al-Maliki even while expressing frustration over the slow pace of political progress.
"My message to Maliki is: `You've got a lot of work to do and whatever decision is made in Washington, D.C., is all aimed at helping you achieve what is necessary to get the work done."'
He said he addressed his comments to all the Iraqi leaders at the table but took al-Malki aside. "You're my friend and ... you've made progress in your recent meeting and now's the time to get these laws passed," Mr. Bush said he told al-Maliki, referring to a national oil revenue sharing measure and other legislation. "You've got hard work to do and you know what? He understands that."
Al-Maliki, speaking before Mr. Bush's visit, said he expected Petraeus and Crocker to give his government a favorable assessment when they report to Congress.
Virtually all of his war advisers joined Mr. Bush in Iraq, the first such meeting here. They included Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. William Fallon, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, Bush's "war czar."
"I brought out the A Team so they could be with the folks who are making a significant difference in this war against these radicals and extremists," Mr. Bush said. "In Anbar you're seeing firsthand the dramatic differences that can come when the Iraqis are more secure. In other words, you're seeing success."
It was Mr. Bush's third secret trip to Iraq in four years. He slipped unnoticed out of the White House on Sunday evening and was driven to Andrews Air Force Base to board his plane. Only one other car accompanied him. Bush was to have left Monday morning for Australia.
CBS News White House Correspondent Peter Maer says the idea for the president to visit Anbar was hatched about six weeks ago. Officials confirm the drop-by is part of the administration's lead-up to next week's status report on the war. But Maer says officials brushed aside any suggestion that the trip is a publicity stunt.
"There are some people who might try to deride this trip as a photo opportunity," White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said. "We wholeheartedly disagree."
Mr. Bush urged Congress to wait until they hear from Crocker and Petraeus before judging the result of his decision to send 30,000 more troops to Iraq.
"I urge members of both parties in Congress to listen to what they have to say," he said. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions until the general and the ambassador report."
Mr. Bush said Monday's visit would have no impact on the mood in Congress. "I don't think a presidential visit will cause people to vote one way or another."
Even Republicans are pressuring Mr. Bush on troop cuts. Republican Sen. John Warner surprised the White House by declaring over the summer congressional break that he wants some U.S. troops to start coming home from Iraq by Christmas. He said he may support Democratic legislation ordering withdrawals if Mr. Bush refuses to set a return timetable soon.
Hadley said Mr. Bush wanted to hear personally from commanders and from al-Maliki himself.
"There is no substitute for sitting down, looking him in the eye, and having a conversation with him," Hadley said. "The president felt this is something he had to do in order to put himself in a position to make some important decisions."
This same weekend, British turned over control of Basra to Iraqi security forces, indicative of final preparations, according to CBS News correspondent Larry Miller, of Britain's withdrawal from Iraq, possibly as early as next month. Britain currently has 5,500 troops in the country.
There are now 162,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, including 30,000 that arrived since February as part of Bush's revised strategy to provide security so Iraqi leaders could build a unity government.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 906 CommentsA Canadian point of view...........You, the Americans have lost your way........and there will be serious consequences as a result.....Why did you let this happen....
What do you bet they even scan the troops for weapons before they are allowed to share the photo-op with Dubya...
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every presidency had and has and will have its own defining moment and only time can judge if whatever decisions that were made are correct.
For Bush, his tenure at the white house will not be remembered by its decisios on abortion or same *** marriage but on his war on terrorism. He had endured a heavier weight than clinton, reagan or carter..because they were outside attacks.
What defined Carter and Clinton was thier failure TO STAND UP AND protect american lives when they were presented with that same gruelling task BUT THEY ALL BUCKLED UNDER THE PRESSURE OF CRITICISM. as far as I can see..Bush has not buckled.
is there anything that these whinney liberals would not complain about?????
we stay..they whine
we dont stay..they whine
I wonder if they would whine when bush leaves office..because they whine about him BEING in office.
An influential group of conservatives convinced President George W. Bush that it was in America''s best interests to conquer Iraq as a first step toward dominating the oil-producing nations in the Middle East. There was no "exit plan" because we never intended to exit. The plan was, and is, to build military bases in Iraq and stay there forever. Our leaders see Iraq as a place to make money. So Bush & Co. have set up their friends to cash in on the rebuilding of Iraq.
"Report: Al Qaeda Plans New Iraq Offensive
Politicians, GIs Targeted, Islamic Web Site Says; Meanwhile, Iraq''s Parliament Heads Back To Work"
"Now the situation [in Iraq] has changed where I''m able to speculate on the hypothetical." President Bush today.
"President Bush vetoed a $124 billion Iraq war funding bill because it included a timetable to withdraw combat forces" President Bush, 4 months ago.
No Flip Flopping here
The democrats are looking for a slogan for 2008. The serenity prayer would make a good one!
Bush can see the hand-writing on the crumbling wall of republican Congressional support. He now wants to be on the head of the curve to stem the tide of republicans becoming "surrender-pubs" and joining in a bipartison redeployment compromise that would challenge his monarchy.
Events may once again get in the way. It''s not clear if the surge is "working" because the insurgents have left the occupied areas to lay low and wait for the right time to counter strike, or if security is actually being established in the effected areas in a manner that can be sustained by Iraqi troops. That'' after all, is the only way that the surge can actually be said to be working.
Even then, their are so many other areas not touched by the surge that can blow up at any time of the insurgents choosing. It''s a game of whack a mole. Now that the Brits have left the Shiite areas of southern Iraq where are the troops for that surge going to come from?
The lack of political progress in the vacationing Parliament has nothing to do with the security situation and everything to do with a national lack of will on the part of the Iraqis.
We can''t give them that.
Bush envisioned a lasting republican majority too, we all know how that turned out.
IF BUSH CAN FLIP-FLOP, FLIP-FLOPS SHOULD BE ALLOWED. AT LEAST THEY WON''T HAVE TO REMOVE THEIR SHOES IN THE AIRPORT.
STAY THE COURSE.......
Seems that Bush is doing a little spin ahead of the Report on Irag due September 15th.
Setting America up, setting their hopes up, especially those with loved ones IN the war, setting up the media. Getting ready for the report.
What is the latest on the Oil Legislation, anyone know? Last I heard at the end of the week, last week is they had signed something into law (funny that the Iraqi government wasn''t even in session).
Now its possible our troops can draw down? Can anyone sing that song: "Democracy in Iraq was a Front for getting the Oil"? Don''t worry, didn''t expect any Republicans to know the tune.
Since when have military leaders been given the decision as to whether we pursue a war? That is a decision to be made by the people through their elected representatives. The military is to make decisions on strategy and tactics, the people are to make decisions as to pursuit of war.
What a great new idea!
Lets bring the troops home! So glad Bush thought of it.
But....doesn''t that mean that Bush wants us to fail in Iraq? Is our President just going to leave those people killing innocent woman and children in Iraq?
When the Democrats say: bring the troops home, it is treason to America. When the President says the same thing, it is heralded as Victory.
perception5, I wish you used some once in a while. Perception, that is....
SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE LEFT THE GAS ON IN IRAQ.
WHEN DO THEY PLAN TO TURN IT OFF?
STAY THE COURSE
where is that 80% you talk about?How many innocents were killed because of our pre-emptive war in Iraq? What exactly did iraq have to do with the attacks on 9/11/2001? What exactly have you done for our Country to make her any safer? What exactly have you done to support our Troops ? What sacrifices have you made to support bush and his policies?
Posted by irishbitch11 at 08:09 AM : Sep 04, 2007
Answers; a) Lie there is no 80%, I always lie b) tens of thousands Repugs do not count them though as they are not Jews or Christians so how can they be innocent c) Nothing except provide an alternate source of oil and location for the Saudi US bases that had to be moved d) me, we do not join the military, ever e) nothing, could not pass the weigh in to join up f) taken a job at the RNC as a low paid RNC bot propagandist
Lies and more lies, I for one do not believe Bush is delusional I belive he lies period becuase he is to small of a man to admit is a fool, not sutupid, amoral yes.
The Surge is a failure their has been no political reconcilation, zero the Sunnie have in fatc walked out.
This mess he is claiming as a success is laughable when you give the other guys guns, after you were the one to disarm them and make them vulnerable to begin with, that is what will happen, they will tamp down the opposition for awhile, AL Qaeda or Shia.
IT IS OUR NEW President who will have to clean up Bushs continued failures, if his Co Dependent Reugs in Congress do not switch to the American side, 17 Senators must switch their vote to bring the troops home and stop pissing away our soaring debt. It is the GOP Partys War Bush cannot continue without his friends in Congress.
Until we see Jan 09 and our next President a non GOP memeber, many many more will die needlessly, waiting to throw this perverse party out of power is difficult for us all but they cannot be trusted to disentangle our troops safely and not cause a blood bath through incompetence or feigned incompetence..
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