Bush Defends Surge, Terror War Tactics

(AP)  President Bush, nearing the end of two terms dominated by war, said Wednesday his decision to increase U.S. troop levels in Iraq early last year brought security to a now resurgent nation and he criticized those who said his plan was flawed.

Although he didn't mention his detractors by name, Bush's comments about Iraq were a slap at Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and a boost to Sen. John McCain, the Republican candidate.

"The commander in chief must always listen to the commanders, and not the latest opinion polls," Bush said during a speech to the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

"America's future leaders must remember that the war on terror will be won on the offense. And that's where our military must stay," Bush said. Obama and McCain are sharply divided about the war in Iraq. Obama opposed it and says he will bring American forces home; McCain was a strong supporter of the war and the surge, and he opposes a quick pullout.

Bush also prodded Russia to honor its commitment to leave pro-Western Georgia, a small, former Soviet republic that has come "under siege" from its larger neighbor.

Bush said it can no longer be "business as usual" with Russia due to its aggression. He said the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia and that Washington will work with allies to insure Georgia's independence and territorial integrity.

Obama, addressing the VFW on Tuesday, reaffirmed his early opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He said the surge of troops has not led to the political reconciliation needed to ensure the country will remain secure once all U.S. troops are gone.

McCain, in an appearance before the same group on Monday, repeated his support for the president's January 2007 decision to add 30,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. The increase is credited with reducing violence in Iraq, and the additional troops have already returned home.

McCain criticized Obama for not only opposing the surge but trying to block the funding that would have allowed the increase.

Bush flew to Orlando from his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Later in the day the president was visiting New Orleans and Gulfport, Miss., to talk about ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Bush told the VFW this would be his final appearance before a veterans group as commander in chief. His remarks were preceded by a video slide show highlighting the role of the military and its veterans.

"You live by a code and you fight for a cause and I'm honored to be your commander in chief," Bush said in the slide show.

VFW National President George Lisicki introduced Bush to an enthusiastic crowd in the Orlando Convention Center. Veterans organizations have pushed aggressively for expanded benefits for veterans and have not always seen eye-to-eye with the Bush administration.

But Lisicki said there's one thing they all agree on: "Our nation does not go to war to lose."

Bush ticked off a long list of accomplishments for veterans during his two terms in office. The annual budget for the Veterans Affairs Department is $94 billion, an amount he said is nearly double for veterans when he took office.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced a larger number of veterans in need of specialized care from traumatic injuries caused by roadside bombs and other terror weapons.

Bush's speech highlighted themes that McCain has been using to argue that he is better qualified to be commander in chief than Obama.

In his remarks, Bush said the war on terror "cannot be won, however if we treat terrorism primarily as a matter of law enforcement. Law enforcement is an essential part of our strategy but our strategy cannot be limited to law enforcement alone."

Bush said the U.S. prosecuted people responsible the first bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 "but eight years later al Qaeda terrorists came back to finish the job."

Obama in June said the government can crack down on terrorists "within the constraints of our Constitution." He mentioned the indefinite detention of Guantanamo Bay detainees, contrasting their treatment with the prosecution of the 1993 World Trade Center bombings.

[misha128-2009]

Iraqis cancel US no bid oil contracts -- instead chooses to sell Oil to China and others -- Now our soldiers are in Iraq to protect Chinese National Security Interests!!!! Another Diplomatic victory for Condi and George.

[beehive21-2009]

He''s Crazy ,if he thinks anyone is buying the BS coming from him,Is that Oil we see oozing from him ? greedy sucker sold out the American people, too Big Oil, greedy , fool.

[joe_transit]

The smirk is caused by the profit he and his clan made from the war. Owning stock in war sub-contractors have sored. Every time an American troop is killed Bush gets richer and richer. His and McCain''s smirk are from viewing anyone who makes less then a few million a year as insignificant waste. They really don''t care about what things cost, we pay for their lifestyle anyway. Why should they spend their own millions and millions when poor Americans can foot the tab. These arrogant narcissistic self serving idiots don''t seem to realize most enlightened Americans know the premises of this war were lies. Once a liar always a liar, ask any cop. Bush was more coherent as a drunk, McCain needs to be kept in a bamboo cage eating rat meat, that what he is best at. We need a president that will focus on us, our energy costs, medical care, education, the American poor and the needy.

[joe_transit]

McCain is just Bush''s "mini me." I always thought McCain was on the verge of senility, then I stumbled upon him on UTube. I encourage anyone pro McCain to view. This guy is not fit to run our country. Not only is he too old, he is lost in his seven back yards.

[misha128-2009]

Bush''s Iraq Failures

#1 The Surge -- failed diplomatically (not militarily) to achieve the majority of the 18 benchmarks for success established before it started. The "Surge" has now officially ended according to President Bush and Senator "Surge" McCain and the Benchmarks many remain unachieved -- clearly diplomatic failure.

#2 President Bush and Sec''y of State Condi Rice are late by their own chosen timing for the schedule to complete the SOFA required to replace the UN Authorization that expires in December to legally protect coalition forces operating in Iraq. The current position and one of the few commonly accepted positions of the Iraqi government is a time line for withdrawal (specifically not a time horixon according to the Iraqis) that is rumored require removal of US combat troops from Iraq by Jan 1, 2011 and removal of US combat troops from Iraqi cities by June. Sounds like Bush is ready to agree to the Republican''s dreaded "Time Line of Failure" before either Senator McCain or Senator Obama have any say in January.

This is how they demonstrate their mastery of national security Accusing the Democrats of legislating failure while simultaneously delivering a total diplomatic meldtown leading to the Republicans voluntarily cutting and running declaring the defeat of coalition forces in Iraq based on their own description of conditions in Iraq?

[leftyintexas]

''The commander in chief must always listen to the commanders, and not the latest opinion polls," Bush said during a speech to the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Yeah, too bad he didn''t take his own advice when one of his own generals warned him that we didn''t have enough troops to invade AND occupy Iraq, never mind that we shouldn''t have been there in the first place. What a total loser!

[jon2012-2009]

The surge has been good though it appears to have come at the expense of Afghanistan where casualties are rising again. The best strategy remains to leave Iraq and not take any more losses and finish up Afghanistan. That''s cut and run but Iraq is a fight we should not have picked anyway. How many al-Qaeda terrorists have been killed there for the 4,120 American troops we have sacrificed? None, zero. $10 billion a month in Iraq could be better spent here in the U.S.

[gramto8]

Anybody else tired of seeing that little smirk on that idiots face?

Posted by airboatboy at 04:36 AM : Aug 21, 2008

I got very tired of that smirk 8 years ago when he was running for office the first time.

[toldyouso12]

Although he didn''t mention his detractors by name, Bush''s comments about Iraq were a slap at Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and a boost to Sen. John McCain, the Republican candidate. "


Really? McCain was one of the main detractors about the way Bush handled the war on terror and even how he handled the surge. So how did he get a boost? Republicans are now trying to redefine and make their own luck? LOL

[whiskyrokkr]

He need''s to eat some humble pie I would say. No humility in that man.