Excerpt from Bush's Speech

[bandersnatch45]

This little tid-bit seems aimed at the "let's cut and run" crowd....

"I recognize that Americans want our troops to come home as quickly as possible. So do I. Some contend that we should set a deadline for withdrawing U.S. forces. Let me explain why that would be a serious mistake. Setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message to the Iraqis, who need to know that America will not leave before the job is done. It would send the wrong message to our troops, who need to know that we are serious about completing the mission they are risking their lives to achieve. And it would send the wrong message to the enemy, who would know that all they have to do is to wait us out. We will stay in Iraq as long as we are needed and not a day longer.

Some Americans ask me, if completing the mission is so important, why don't you send more troops? If our commanders on the ground say we need more troops, I will send them. But our commanders tell me they have the number of troops they need to do their job. Sending more Americans would undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight. And sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever, when we are in fact working for the day when Iraq can defend itself and we can leave. As we determine the right force level, our troops can know that I will continue to be guided by the advice that matters: the sober judgment of our military leaders. "

http://www.conservativeunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10481

One can read the whole text of the speech here, and I'm sure it can be found elsewhere.

 

[It's On A Slab]

Exit strategy? We don't need no exit strategy.

This little tid-bit seems aimed at the "let's cut and run" crowd....

"I recognize that Americans want our troops to come home as quickly as possible. So do I. Some contend that we should set a deadline for withdrawing U.S. forces. Let me explain why that would be a serious mistake. Setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message to the Iraqis, who need to know that America will not leave before the job is done. It would send the wrong message to our troops, who need to know that we are serious about completing the mission they are risking their lives to achieve. And it would send the wrong message to the enemy, who would know that all they have to do is to wait us out. We will stay in Iraq as long as we are needed and not a day longer.

Some Americans ask me, if completing the mission is so important, why don't you send more troops? If our commanders on the ground say we need more troops, I will send them. But our commanders tell me they have the number of troops they need to do their job. Sending more Americans would undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight. And sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever, when we are in fact working for the day when Iraq can defend itself and we can leave. As we determine the right force level, our troops can know that I will continue to be guided by the advice that matters: the sober judgment of our military leaders. "

http://www.conservativeunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10481

One can read the whole text of the speech here, and I'm sure it can be found elsewhere.

From PoliticalWire ( http://politicalwire.com/archives/2005/06/28/bush_once_demanded_an_exit_strategy.html ):

June 28, 2005

Bush Once Demanded an Exit Strategy

Think Progress notes President Bush's evolving views on committing troops to battle.

"Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is." -- Bush criticizing President Clinton on not setting a timetable for troops in Kosovo, 4/9/99

"I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn." -- Bush, again criticizing Clinton, 6/5/99

"I'm going to be judicious as to how to use the military. It needs to be in our vital interest, the mission needs to be clear, and the exit strategy obvious." -- Bush, in response to a question from Jim Lehrer, 10/12/00.

"It doesn’t make any sense to have a timetable. You know, if you give a timetable, you’re — you’re conceding too much to the enemy." -- Bush on Iraq, 6/24/05

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I guess it's a case of "growing into the job".

 

[bamabake]

From PoliticalWire ( http://politicalwire.com/archives/2005/06/28/bush_once_demanded_an_exit_strategy.html ):

June 28, 2005

Bush Once Demanded an Exit Strategy

Think Progress notes President Bush's evolving views on committing troops to battle.

"Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is." -- Bush criticizing President Clinton on not setting a timetable for troops in Kosovo, 4/9/99

"I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn." -- Bush, again criticizing Clinton, 6/5/99

"I'm going to be judicious as to how to use the military. It needs to be in our vital interest, the mission needs to be clear, and the exit strategy obvious." -- Bush, in response to a question from Jim Lehrer, 10/12/00.

"It doesn’t make any sense to have a timetable. You know, if you give a timetable, you’re — you’re conceding too much to the enemy." -- Bush on Iraq, 6/24/05

-----

I guess it's a case of "growing into the job".

First off Bush was judicious with the military. He isnt using it to hand out food on some island ( the Tsunami excluded) he isnt using it to promote the homo agenda etc. HE also went to congress about Iraq and to the UN , he gave Saddam a ton of time to comply. Since the congress and the UN went off the SAME intelegence that the CIA, Isreal, Britain and a host of other souces had about WMD and all agreed, the US via congress, and the world via the UN, I would say that so far he has been judicious.
As far as demanding a timeline for Kosovo. That is easy to explain. Everyone but a political hack was demanding the same thing for a good reason. IT was and is clear that we were bombing our former allies, the christian serbs, for one of two reasons and two reasons only. Either so clinton could distract the public from his domestic issues he had caused, or to be politically correct.
You all on the left talk about going inot a war where our security isnt threated
well Kosovo was a classic waste of time and money. So it is certainly reasonable to know when we are going to withdraw from a PC war that had ZERO to do with American intersts or security.

 

[NYBamaFan]

I have gone on the record as a conservative that is very dissatisfied with many things that Bush has done. The suggestion that Bush has no exit strategy simply because he is not willing to put a time-line to that strategy is intellectually dishonest. Bush has an exit strategy.

Let's work this through. Bush wants to stay until the Iraqi people can protect themselves. He is actively training their army and police force. He is letting their forces take the lead in most military activity. All of this so the country can withstand radical muslims movements once we leave.

This is all true, as attested to by the Iraqi people themselves.

He has an exit strategy - just no timeline. He is not ready to say, "We are leaving in xx months, whether the Iraqi people are ready for our exit or not." I, for one, am glad that he is staying the course.

There are many things that Bush is handling poorly, but this is not one of them. Those that attack Bush here show their true partisanship..