but we're not losing either according to Bush. :eyes: So let's send more troops so they can't win or lose either. :puke:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121900880.htmlPresident Bush acknowledged for the first time yesterday that the United States is not winning the war in Iraq and said he plans to expand the overall size of the "stressed" U.S. armed forces to meet the challenges of a long-term global struggle against terrorists.
As he searches for a new strategy for Iraq, Bush has now adopted the formula advanced by his top military adviser to describe the situation. "We're not winning, we're not losing," Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post. The assessment was a striking reversal for a president who, days before the November elections, declared, "Absolutely, we're winning."On the War, Determined to Go His Own WayBy Michael Abramowitz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 20, 2006; Page A14
Ever since Republicans were routed last month in what was widely seen as a repudiation of his Iraq strategy, President Bush has been busily listing how his policies there will not be changing.
There will be no timetable for removing American troops, no high-level dialogue with Iran and Syria, and no slackening of support for the widely criticized government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Meanwhile, White House aides are reported to be pushing a major "surge" of troops to Baghdad while preparing a fresh infusion of tens of billions of dollars for the war effort.
President Bush said he believes last month's election results were not a rejection of his Iraq policies. "There's not a lot of people saying, 'Get out now,' " he said. "Most Americans are saying, 'We want to achieve the objective.' " (Yesterday, in an interview with The Washington Post, while acknowledging that the United States is not winning in Iraq, Bush bluntly dismissed the suggestion that the midterm elections meant voters want to bring the mission in that country to closure. He said he interpreted the election results "as people not satisfied with the progress" in Iraq.
more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901566.html?nav=hcmodulePresident Bush on Iraq, Elections and ImmigrationThis 25-minute interview was conducted yesterday in the Oval Office by Washington Post staff writers Peter Baker, Michael A. Fletcher and Michael Abramowitz.
President Bush: Listen, a couple of things before we get going. Obviously, I've been thinking about -- and talking to a lot of people about -- the way forward in Iraq and the way forward in this ideological struggle. I want to share one thought I had with you, and I'm inclined to believe that we do need to increase our troops, the Army, the Marines. And I talked about this to
Secretary Gates, and he is going to spend some time talking to the folks in the building, come back with a recommendation to me about how to proceed forward on this idea. I want to give him a little time to get his feet on the ground. And so I'll be addressing this after consultations with him. I just want to share that with you before we get going.
complete interview here:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121900886.html?nav=hcmodule