Bush Orders Halt In Iraq Withdrawals

President Backs Top General's Recommendations On Troop Levels, Orders Shorter Combat Tours

(CBS/AP)  President Bush on Thursday ordered an indefinite halt in U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq after July, embracing the key recommendations of his top war commander. Mr. Bush said Gen. David Petraeus will "have all the time he needs" to consider when more American forces could return home.

Mr. Bush's decisions virtually guarantee a major U.S. presence in Iraq throughout his term in office in January, when a new president takes office.

In another major decision, the president announced he will seek to relieve the heavy strain on the Army by reducing the length of combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan to 12 months, down from the current level of 15 months. He said the change would take effect on Aug. 1, and would not affect U.S. forces already deployed on the front lines.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said that the president hopes the plan will help deal with "stress issues" for troops and their families, reports CBS News correspondent Peter Maer.

Mr. Bush said U.S. forces have made major gains since he ordered a buildup of about 30,000 U.S. forces last year. "We have renewed and revived the prospect of success" the president said.

Mr. Bush delivered his remarks in the Cross Hall of the White House before an audience of veterans' service groups and Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The president's decision had been foreshadowed by two days of testimony before a skeptical Congress by Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Baghdad. Now in its sixth year, the war has claimed the lives of more than 4,000 U.S. troops and cost more than $500 billion.

Iraq and the sagging economy have taken a heavy toll on Mr. Bush. His job approval rating has fallen to just 28 percent, a new low in the Associated Press-Ipsos poll.

Mr. Bush said the United States would proceed with planned drawdowns of U.S. forces, bringing home the 30,000 troops he sent to Iraq last year to combat sectarian violence. The additional troops were also intended to help restore basic security and provide a sense of calm to allow Iraqi leaders to attempt to achieve political reconciliation.

"I've told him (Petraeus) he'll have all the time he needs," Mr. Bush said. "Some have suggested that this period of evaluation will be a pause. That's misleading, because none of our operations in Iraq will be on hold. Instead we will use the months ahead to take advantage of the opportunities created by the surge and continue operations across the board."

While acknowledging that "serious and complex problems remain in Iraq," Mr. Bush said that "a major strategic shift" has occurred since the buildup.

"Today we have the initiative," the president said.

Mr. Bush also called on Congress to send him a spending bill for Iraq that does not include any timetables for troop withdrawals or exceed the $108 billion he has requested. Last spring, Congress added $17 billion in unrequested domestic add-ons such as children's health care, homeland security and heating subsidies.

Now, Democrats are eyeing using this year's war funding bill to stimulate the economy with road-building funds, additional unemployment benefits, a summer jobs program and additional food stamp benefits. The measure is slated to advance later this spring.

Mr. Bush said he would veto the spending measure if Congress fails to meet his conditions.

"While this war is difficult, it is not endless," Mr. Bush said in a message directed to troops, but surely to the American public as well.

The president said that only as conditions in Iraq improve will he bring more troops home, a policy he calls "return on success."

"The day will come when Iraq is a capable partner of the United States," Mr. Bush said. "The day will come when Iraq's a stable democracy that helps fight our common enemies and promote our common interests in the Middle East."

"And when that day arrives, you'll come home with pride in your success," Mr. Bush said to the military and U.S. civilians in Iraq.

Mr. Bush used his speech to challenge Iran anew. He said the regime in Tehran has a choice to make: live in peace with its neighbor, or continue to fund and train militant groups that terrorize Iraqi people - charges that the Tehran government denies.

"If Iran makes the right choice, America will encourage a peaceful relationship between Iran and Iraq," Mr. Bush said. "Iran makes the wrong choice, America will act to protect our interests, and our troops, and our Iraqi partners."

After his remarks, Mr. Bush boarded a helicopter on the South Lawn to begin a journey to Texas for a weekend at his ranch.

In remarks prepared for a Senate hearing later on Thursday, Gates said he and the senior military leadership at the Pentagon "concur with the course the president has chosen in Iraq."

"I do not anticipate this period of review to be an extended one, and I would emphasize that the hope is, conditions on the ground will allow us to reduce our presence further this fall," Gates said. "But we must be realistic. The security situation in Iraq remains fragile and gains can be reversed."

Even before Mr. Bush made his announcement, war critics went on the attack.

"We are six years into a war that has claimed more than 4,000 American lives ... cost nearly a trillion dollars that could have been used to meet urgent needs at home and damaged the reputation of the United States in the eyes of the world," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to Mr. Bush in a letter she released late Wednesday. "General Petraeus admitted on Tuesday that `we haven't turned any corners, we haven't seen any lights at the end of the tunnel' in Iraq.

"The American people are entitled to know when they will receive a more hopeful report than the one provided by General Petraeus, and what changes in policy you will make to achieve it before you leave office," Pelosi, D-Calif., said.

She added that Mr. Bush needs to tell the American people how keeping 140,000 troops in Iraq will help reduce the threat the nation faces because the U.S. military is bogged down in Iraq, what conditions will be needed for further troop withdrawals beyond July and how much longer the threat from extremists hiding along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border will be allowed to "grow because our resource commitment in Iraq makes is impossible to respond adequately."

[srdesert48]

hey luvleeus--he ain''t no president;;;he only wants money &oil ...he sold out this country...he planned the 911 attacks...he new before it happened...he wanted a war...he & cheney are some no good sob''s...you can see the planes going into the tower buildings right before it it one there was an explosion ...a missile or something...look real close ....the plane company would not comment on it either....it was all planned....bush wanted a war so he &cheney could make more money off oil & other things ..so who can support someone like him since he made us all suffer...there were missiles involved in those planes going down ...look real close ...

[venkata4--2008]

A Prez. who had AWOL and VP with 5 differals tell our troops that they have to serve 25 months tour of duties.

[luvleeliz-2009]

If you don''t support the President of YOUR country then move out of it and get over it!

[bgwinnett]

SO, ISN''''T IT TIME FOR THE PREZ TO INVITE SAUDI KING TO TO CRAWFORD, AND INVITE BARBARA WALTERS TO FILM THEM TOGETHER, HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE SAUDI KING "DONATING" OIL ON THE TAKE?

Posted by dumbshun at 06:07 AM : Apr 11, 2008

yes, payback for the Oil Shocks and Stagflation in the 70''s is overdue.

[naucoming4u]

WHY DON''''T WE MAKE THE SAUDIS ANG EGYPTIANS "PAY FOR THE 9/11 CARNAGE?

Posted by dumbshun at 05:44 AM : Apr 11, 2008
..........

When the Saudis no longer have any oil to export to us, then perhaps our Congress would consider it.

As for the Egyptians... well that beats the hell out of me!

[incog-nito]

Quote from article:

Mr. Bush said U.S. forces have made major gains since he ordered a buildup of about 30,000 U.S. forces last year. "We have renewed and revived the prospect of success" the president said.

Wonderful. The surge was so successful that we need to keep troops there indefinitely to maintain that level of "success". Because, you know, it won''t be nearly as successful if we draw down troop levels.

Some kind of logic.

[incog-nito]

There was never a "surge". The only reason it''s called that, is to fool people into believing that it would only be temporary. As usual, the ploy worked like a charm on the mindless masses.

[singingrick]

The idiot never sent in enough troops to do the job in the first place and even fired the general who told him he would need more to keep order. As it stands now, we probably won''t leave until we''ve totally bankrupted the Federal Treasury.

[j-whitman]

I''d put them all in Afhaganistan, it''s a big place

[j-whitman]

The US population is around 300 million, 7% is eligible to enlist ----- Time for a draft & taxes to pay for it.

[rebelscout]

Surge 2 the sequal. I can see that coming. Wouldn''t this be #3 or 4 though?

[ontheleft]

Not only has Bush halted troop withdrawals, but soon with the rising violence he will be proposing "Surge II: The Sequel".

[rebelscout]

Petraeus, unfortunately, has already been breifed on what to say. This mess is Vietnam all over again. Civilian''s running a war we should never have started and then not listening to the men in charge unless they agree with you.

[the74blaster]

Since the troop surge has made Iraq a safer and more stable nation, and since political progress is being made, there is no excuse for the liberal Democrat''''s refusal to acknowledge the successes and hard-fought victories that our troops have accomplished.

Posted by bobmarisol,

And it only cost us 3 trillion dollars to accomplish. What a deal for the tax payer.

[j-whitman]

CNN''s best Iraq reporter Michal Ware is interviewing Petreaus in a few minutes asking questions that congress didn''t.

[rebelscout]

Dumbya just plan''s to dump this mess into the lap of the next administration. He and Cheney started a mess that has spiraled out of control all in the name of the almighty dollar. Now they have lost control and the only thing they know to do is "Stay the course" or make up a new line of BS!

[timdgrim]

Daddy Bush is the one who should have WITHDRAWN...if you know what I mean!!

[kissamaarse]

j-whitman:
Glad to see a rational voice on this comment board tonight! I know if I have to bail that one capable of critical thought is aboard.

[formrusmcsgt]

Who with a brain believe''''s this garbage?

Posted by rebelscout at 09:53 PM : Apr 10, 2008

I believe you just answered your own question.

Only the self-righteous, the xenophobes, and the paranoid among us buy this crapola.

[rebelscout]

You can''t even get Sunni''s to work together or Shia. This admin is running out of lie''s real fast. The surge is working but we cannot draw down the troop level''s. Maliki is making political progress yet NOTHING is getting done. Who with a brain believe''s this garbage?