Fox front page has a photo of Bush being hugged by the jubilant "Iraq Mom"

Bush_Eats_Beef

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Wed Aug-24-05 10:00 PM
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Fox front page has a photo of Bush being hugged by the jubilant "Iraq Mom"

http://www.foxnews.com/

Tammy Pruett, who has five kids serving in Iraq, hugs Bush.
Bush: U.S. 'Bringing Justice'
President thanks the troops
Commander in chief visits with Idaho National Guard, many of whom are likely to return to Iraq

BOISE, Idaho — Pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq too early would hurt that country's fledgling democracy as well as American security efforts, President Bush told members of the National Guard in Idaho on Wednesday. "Our nation is involved in a global War on Terror that affects the safety and security of every American," Bush said. "We'll complete our work in Afghanistan and Iraq ... an immediate withdrawal of our troops in Iraq or a broader Middle East, as some have called for, will only embolden the terrorists and create a staging ground to launch attacks against America and other free countries. So long as I am president, we will stay and we will fight and will win the War on Terror."

"In the War on Terror, you're bringing justice to the enemies and honor to the uniform and our country is grateful for your service," Bush told the crowd, noting that 19 presidents of the United States have served in the National Guard, and he is one of them. "You're not only protecting the American homeland — you're also taking the fight to the enemy." Bush also thanked the families of American service men and women in times of heavy sacrifice. "The families are standing for America and America appreciates the service and the sacrifice of the military families," he said. "There are few things more difficult than seeing a loved one go to war."

Bush will later meet at the Mountain Home Air Force Base near Boise with 19 families — not all of which are from Idaho — who lost loved ones in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is meeting privately with each individual family before returning to his Texas ranch in the evening.

Among the families scheduled to meet with Bush was 18-year-old Stevie Bitah. Her father father, Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Virgil R. Case, died June 1 from non-combat related wounds in Iraq. "At first, I was kind of scared to do it — I didn't know what to expect. There's been lots of anger and sadness," Bitah said. "If I met with him, I think he'd know that this person I lost was important to me — not only to me, but to my entire family." Bitah said she does not share the anti-war views of Cindy Sheehan, the California woman who lost a son in Iraq and has given momentum to the peace movement by holding a vigil near Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. But Bitah said she hopes American forces will return soon to spare other families the loss she endured. "I don't think he intended to go over there and have people lose family members. He's doing it for specific reasons; he's doing it to protect our country," Bitah said of Bush. "My dad chose to go over there and that's something he was proud of, and our family was proud of him."