Bush Says Iraq War Was Worth It

[Gold9472]

Bush says Iraq war was worth it
Bush Says He Has No Doubt About War in Iraq Despite `high Cost in Lives and Treasure'

http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila..._03182008.html

TERENCE HUNT
Mar 18, 2008 18:57 EST

President Bush says he has no doubts about waging the unpopular war in Iraq despite the "high cost in lives and treasure." He says that retreat now would embolden Iran and provide al-Qaida with money for weapons of mass destruction to attack the United States.

Bush is to mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq on Wednesday with a speech at the Pentagon. Excerpts of his address were released Tuesday night by the White House.

At least 3,990 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the war in 2003. It has cost taxpayers about $500 billion so far and estimates of the eventual tab run far higher.

The president says successes in Iraq are undeniable, yet some in Washington still call for retreat. He says war critics can no longer credibly argue that the U.S. is losing in Iraq, so they argue the war costs too much.

[PhilosophyGenius]

I believe "get the hell outta here with that shit" is the perfect response.

[AuGmENTor]

McCain: Don't Pull Troops From Iraq
Mar 18 09:37 AM US/Eastern
By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU
Associated Press Writer
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting, said Tuesday that any hasty pullout from Iraq would be a mistake that would favor Iran and al-Qaida. McCain, who has linked his political future to U.S. success in Iraq, was in the wartorn country on Monday for meetings with Iraqi and U.S. diplomatic and military officials.

"We were very encouraged by the success of the surge and the reduction in U.S. casualties," McCain told reporters in Jordan, where he stopped on the next leg of a congressional visit that will also take him to Israel, Britain and France.

It was the senator's eighth visit to Iraq, and his first since emerging as the presumed Republican candidate. He is accompanied by Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., two of his top supporters in the race for president.

"We are succeeding, but we still have a long way to go," McCain said, pointing at what he described as al-Qaida's residual power in Iraq and at Iran's growing influence, as the major remaining threats.

He promised that, if elected president, he would uphold a long-term military commitment in Iraq as long as al-Qaida in Iraq is not defeated.

McCain, who is the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, said the trip to the Middle East and Europe was for fact- finding purposes, not a campaign photo opportunity.

He is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the first time, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy for the third time. He met and corresponded with Sarkozy both before and after the French president was elected. They last saw each other last summer.

McCain has told reporters he worries that insurgents might try to influence the November presidential election by stepping up their attacks in Iraq.

McCain is a supporter of the 2003 invasion and President Bush's troop increase last year.


AuGmENTor: Anyone else notice how both articles use "Iran" and "al-Qaida" in the same sentence?