Posted on 09/04/2007 7:52:25 AM PDT by SmithL
AL-ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- With Democratic leaders returning to Washington today to begin a new assault on his Iraq strategy, President Bush launched a sneak attack on Monday.
Making a surprise trip to Iraq, he touted progress in al-Anbar province as a sign that his military surge is working. And, he hinted that he might be able to withdraw some troops if the security gains continue.
"When we begin to draw down troops from Iraq, it will be from a position of strength and success, not from a position of fear and failure," Bush told several hundred Marines assembled at Al-Asad Air Base. Any drawdown will be based on a "calm" assessment of conditions on the ground by military leaders, Bush said, not the "nervous" reaction of politicians watching opinion polls.
Bush's unannounced arrival in a remote and contested region of Iraq served as a dramatic opening to a crucial two weeks in Washington that could determine the future course of the war. Democrats return to town after getting an earful from war foes at home.
''Voters want the Congress to be very aggressive in confronting the Bush administration, and that is what the Democrats intend on doing," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., a senior party leader and confidant of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
On the way to Iraq, White House officials denied that the visit was a stunt designed to help Bush make his case that his military strategy is making progress.
"The president ... felt it was important for him to come first-hand," said national security adviser Stephen Hadley, adding that Bush was particularly looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, as well as Iraqi tribal leaders. "There is no substitute for sitting down, looking him in the eye, and having a conversation with him."
But the trip, complete with resolute, stay-the-course speeches before cheering troops, also reflected Bush's conviction that the moderate security gains seen in the surge, while limited to only certain sections of the country, gave him new political momentum that might enable him to beat back any Democratic effort to force an early troop withdrawal.
And his hint that he might approve a limited withdrawal, while giving no specifics, preempted Democrats hoping to make the same pitch.
"The strategy we put into place earlier this year was designed to help the Iraqis improve their security," Bush said, "and that is exactly the effect it is having in places like Anbar. ... If the kind of success we are now seeing continues, it will be possible to maintain the same level of security with fewer American forces."
Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, will present his assessment of the war in congressional testimony on Sept. 10 and 11 -- the sixth anniversary of the al-Qaida terrorist attacks that Bush often cites as he argues for staying the course in Iraq. Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, also will testify.
"Petraeus and Crocker will come in with a report that basically wants to continue the surge," predicted Lee Hamilton, co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group and a former Democratic congressman from Indiana. "I think the surge will continue into next year. The Congress will not be able to stop it."
He added, "The Republicans' discipline has been remarkable. Even if they lose a few senators, it's not going to hurt their position."
A few Republicans have peeled away from the president, notably Sen. John Warner of Virginia, who recently called for the start of a drawdown by Christmas.
Monday's suggestion that he might begin a drawdown if security conditions warrant it might have been Bush's acknowledgement that Warner's idea had merit, militarily and politically.
With most Republican senators sticking with the president, Democratic leaders sense that they have lost the fight for now and are signaling they may be open to a compromise.
One proposal is to cap the already extended 15-month deployments of troops, effectively forcing the military to start scaling back forces sometime next spring.
Democratic leaders such as Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said war opponents might also try to attach conditions to an upcoming war spending bill that ultimately would force the administration to scale back forces.
"Many of us are reaching the end of our patience here," said Durbin, who recently returned from a visit to Iraq. "We have to figure out a way to keep the troops safe, but also start bringing them home."
Nice political move, and you have to admit the response from the troops to his visit was fantastic.
And it irks the hell out of General Pelosi and company.
They can't help themselves.
Another editorial masquerading as reportage.
With Democratic leaders returning to Washington today to begin a new assault on his Iraq strategy....
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Useless b@stards. They have NOTHING for America, nor are they interested in the future of America. Not at all.
Bush always does well when he remembers to go on offense instead of playing prevent-defense, turning the other cheek and taking a beating.
That would be a fresh idea completely unlike the last dozen times it was tried.
Calling Pres. Bush! Calling Congresscritters! Hello--Hellllooooo! Geeze, no answer.
vaudine
"his"...not ours.
No, Congressman Markey...the voters want to see some actual work on behalf of the people, rather than the ceaseless "investigate, subpoena, and interfere" cycle of the Reid-Pelosi 18% Congress.
THAT is what the voters want.
Just like it says in the Constitution, we in Congress are the Commanders-in-Chief.
Right there, in Article... uh.... Section.... uh...
Oh, I can't find it right now, but it's there!
I doubt those were Bush's words - sounds like a reporter's ink spilling into the story.
The acme of skill for a journohack is to use bias subtley so to create a distance between the POTUS, the journohack hates (Bush), and the people...overtime this will achieve their goal of manipulating public opinion...
Good for Iraq and a spit in the eye to Dems! Meanwhile, Mexican trucks start coming across the border uninspected, with drivers who probably do not speak English, have no ins. and are carrying only God knows what.
Most definitely. The dirtbags of Congress would help their ratings if they did something positive like address the illegal scumbags infiltrating our country at the southern borders. Oh my, did I sound racist? Oops....
‘Bush always does well when he remembers to go on offense instead of playing prevent-defense, turning the other cheek and taking a beating.’
Yep, wish he didn’t have to relearn that once every ten or twelve months....
The worm is turning on the Dems regarding the war. It is not that we have won the war yet, but clearly significant progress has been made in the WORST part of the country. I listen to NPR here in South Georgia when driving to work, since the other news stations are awful. Clearly, the Dems are focusing on the “political” progress. What do they want us to do sponsor a coop against Malaki? Their persistence in hammering at Bush on the war is backfiring hugely. If this time next year the war in Iraq is going fairly well, like half/third the casualties per month, and we have started removing troops, then the Dems will be in a world of hurt.
Thats how I see it.
It would be ironic as hell if thats what stops the Dems in 2008.
Because as we’ve seen for the past 24 months, the Republican Party sure hasn’t done anything to stem that tide.
They'll still make the same pitch, that isn't the issue. The issue is that they won't be able to pound their chests and claim that they forced their will on the President. That's a problem because aside from appearance they don't really have much else going.
I predict more investigations.
“When we begin to draw down troops from Iraq, it will be from a position of strength and success, not from a position of fear and failure,”
Chisel that quote in granite.
My assumption as well. Sorry that wasn't clear.
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