SYDNEY, Australia, Sept. 5, 2007
Bush Defends Surge; Gets Some Reassurance
Australian PM, Hosting Bush At APEC Summit, Says His Troops Will Stay In 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 and Australian Prime Minister John Howard speak to reporters during a press conference in Sydney, Australia, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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President Bush, center, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, are greeted by an unidentified Australian official upon their arrival in Sydney, Australia, for the APEC summit, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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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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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
"Our commitment to Iraq remains," pledged Howard, one of Mr. Bush's few remaining staunch war allies. "This is not the time for any proposals of a scaling down of Australian forces." The two men spoke at a news conference.
Mr. Bush, his voice rising before he had even been asked a question about the war, spoke forcefully about the 30,000 additional American troops he sent to Iraq this year. His decision raised troop levels in Iraq to about 160,000.
"If I didn't think we could succeed, I wouldn't have our troops there," he said.
Mr. Bush said it was important "that we hang in there with the Iraqis and help them."
Australia participated in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and still has about 1,600 troops in and around the country, 550 of them in combat roles.
Howard is a staunch Iraq war ally, reports CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer, but he faces a public that is increasingly sour about the Australian troop presence in Iraq. Howard also faces an aggressive challenge in elections expected to be called within three months.
President Bush made a surprise, 8-hour stop in Iraq on the way to Australia and filled Howard in on what he learned. Like he does with U.S. lawmakers and coalition partners around the world, he urged that decisions about troops be based on conditions on the ground rather than internal politics.Complete Coverage: America In Iraq: The Road Ahead
"The security situation is changing," Mr. Bush said. "There's more work to be done. But reconciliation is taking place."
Mr. Bush returns to Washington this weekend ahead of an expected showdown with war opponents on Capitol Hill, kicked off next week with testimony from the top U.S. commander and diplomat in Iraq and their expected release of a progress report on the fighting.
Administration officials said Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are recommending that Mr. Bush stand by his current war strategy. The officials also said the president is unlikely to order more than a symbolic cut in troops before the end of the year.
CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Katie Couric spoke to Petraeus this week about one place the U.S. military says the surge is working; the city of Fallujah in Anbar province. Petraeus told Couric local anger at al Qaeda yielded the success.
Mr. Bush was spending much of Wednesday with Howard ahead of a 21-nation Asia-Pacific summit later in the week.
Later, Mr. Bush and Howard took a 20-minute boat ride across Sydney Harbor's choppy waters to Garden Island, where they had lunch with Australian troops under a tent.
"Thanks for making the sacrifice necessary for peace," the president told the Australian troops. "And we're going to win and we're going to succeed."
© 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 105 CommentsPosted by trkshdlght at 08:27 AM : Sep 06, 2007
True Islam is non violent and welcomes everyone what about the radical and fundamentalist that harm themselves and other people because of their radical beliefs. What do you think about those people?
Are we having a bad morning? trkshdlight didn''t say his religion was better or that America had a problem with their religion.
What they did say was that Hitler was a Christian(true) and that Israel has committed genocide(debatable and provocative but not entirely untrue).
There won''t ever be peace in the middle east until people can look at matters objectively and comprehansively and be willing to listen to other perspectives and viewpoints. Words don''t kill people, ignorance does.
Posted by tbweb at 10:59 PM : Sep 05, 2007
-tbweb: thanks for reminding us. So true, and it''s a pride to belong to this Nation where pride, dignity to ourself, and to others have been and are cornerstones of our society.
The United States is a powerful and great nation who has temporarily lost its way in Iraq. The U.S. needs to recover and get back to what it does best, lead by example and remain the Lighthouse on the Sea of a troubled world. We have our work cut out for us, there is much to be done, its time to rebuild our reputation and get strong again, we can do it, we did before, we can do it again! America may be down, but we''re not out, America always has the ability to come back! The 2008 Elections is a good place to start. Many thought the Great Depression was the end for America, but America came back roaring, the United States can always come back!
Posted by tbweb at 04:31 AM : Sep 05, 2007
no... fascist nazi terrorislam is wrong...
Is islam a violation of international law???
islam practices slavery on non muslims
islam practices apartheid on non muslims
islam practices rape on non muslims
islam practices rape on babies and animals
islam practices genocide on non muslims
all are violations of international law and are crimes against humanity ...
Posted by lars008
-arsee008 has been victim of all those above-mentioned crimes. He was a baby when he was raped like an animal and he liked it. so he became this:
http://profielen1.****.nl/show.php?nick=lars008
we''re tired and sick of your stupid posting you azzzholer!
The real question isn''t whether the surge is working, whatever that means. The real question is when will the Iraqi central government, after 4 years of economic support and military training , be able to create their own security in Sunni and Shiite areas and create a political climate of reconciliation.
If the will was there for the necessary power sharing between the factions and progress in that regard was evident it would make sense to be hopeful for the future and to stay to give an ongoing process of political reconciliation a chance to play out.
The President says that there''s reconciliation going on but he doesn''t explain what and where. He needs to demonstrate that clearly if he wants to convince a sceptical country.
I would urge those who support the White House policy to urge him to show the country where this reconciliation is taking place.
We''ve had lulls in the violence before but without a political and diplomatic solution it always eventually returns to anarchy and will continue to do so until the political and diplomatic progress accompanies the military gains.
Quote:
"A moment I''''ve been dreading. George [Bush] brought his ne''''re-do-well
son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the
political one who lives in Florida. The one who hangs around here all
the time looking shiftless. This so-called kid is already almost 40
and has never had a real job. Maybe I''''ll call Kinsley over at The New
Republic and see if they''''ll hire him as a contributing editor or
something. That looks like easy work."-- Ronald Reagan in his recently
published diaries, May 17, 1986.
I thought some of you would enjoy this just got it on a e-mail I died laughing he hasn''''t changed one bit.
Posted by starleo146 at 08:20 PM : Sep 05, 2007
Unfortunately the Australian leadership is in lock-step with ours. It is sad when a democracy cannot change its own fate.
Posted by j4401 at 05:10 PM : Sep 05, 2007
That is so sadly, however like George bush, the polls indicate that John Howards popularity is going through the floor, the opposition Labor party appears to have a lead of approx. 15% over the present government, with elections due in november.
His loss of popularity also appears to be for his association with Bush on Iraq, and his stance on Global warming, and again, as Bush, his refusal to sign the Kyoto agreement.
As administrators of this country for the past 10+ years, his government can not really be questioned, in my opinion.
Couric: ''Real Progress'' In Iraq"
- Posted by lars008 at 03:27 PM : Sep 05, 2007
''Real Progress'' after almost 5 years ????
Try again, Katie.
Take a look at this graph, lars008, and then tell us all about that ''real progress''
http://icasualties.org/oif/US_chart.aspx
Our hope for the American ideals of freedom and liberty rest now with the Congress and all our citizens.
Bush will never admit to what is going on in Iraq nor why we are involved.
We must keep the pressure on this madman to get to the truth.
God Bless America
Posted by pepperp1 at 10:49 AM : Sep 05, 2007
This 50 billion was added to 145 billion to be appropriated and he wants it all on an emergency basis. I am so tired of his c*r*ap and lies I think everyone has his number. How many will believe the Generals report?
The Real Reason We''re In Iraq:
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.
Couric: ''Real Progress'' In Iraq
Evening News Anchor Says Police Finally Making Inroads
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_247203227.html
Majority in poll say U.S. can win war in Iraq
The poll shows 54 percent of Americans said the war is not lost.
http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=15533
Latest poll shows growing support for Iraq war policy
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/08/latest-poll-sho.html
Analysis: Military Shows Gains in Iraq
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8QRMCU00&show_article=1
Bush''s war support rising?
The latest poll by United Press International/Zogby Interactive showed that 54 percent think the war is not lost, with respondents splitting sharply along party lines on that question.
http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=15553
GAO: Baghdad Failing To Meet Most Goals
New Report On Iraq Finds Baghdad Hasn''t Met 11 Of Its 18 Political And Security Benchmarks
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/04/iraq/main3231705.shtml
Porter ties U.S. withdrawal from Iraq to $9 gasoline
http://www.lvrj.com/news/9466252.html
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