George Bush this morning ordered 21,500 more US troops to Iraq to try to quell sectarian violence, but promised a war-weary public that "America's commitment is not open-ended". Only months after he declared that the US could win the war in Iraq, Mr Bush, appearing somewhat chastened, admitted that the US strategy had failed, and that the administration had not anticipated the eruption of sectarian violence that now posed the gravest danger to Iraq. In a rare admission for a president famously averse to expressing regret, he fully accepted responsibility for that failure. "The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people - and it is unacceptable to me," he said in a prime-time address from the White House. "Where mistakes have been made the responsibility rests with me." The speech was a last-ditch attempt by Mr Bush to persuade a sceptical Congress to remain committed to a deeply unpopular war. It puts Mr Bush on a collision course with the new Democratic majority which opposes a troops increase - as do a number of Republican senators. Congress is set to vote next week on the troop deployment.
Only months after he declared that the US could win the war in Iraq, Mr Bush, appearing somewhat chastened, admitted that the US strategy had failed, and that the administration had not anticipated the eruption of sectarian violence that now posed the gravest danger to Iraq.
In a rare admission for a president famously averse to expressing regret, he fully accepted responsibility for that failure.
"The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people - and it is unacceptable to me," he said in a prime-time address from the White House. "Where mistakes have been made the responsibility rests with me."
The speech was a last-ditch attempt by Mr Bush to persuade a sceptical Congress to remain committed to a deeply unpopular war. It puts Mr Bush on a collision course with the new Democratic majority which opposes a troops increase - as do a number of Republican senators. Congress is set to vote next week on the troop deployment.
There will be timetables, deadlines, benchmarks, goals for both America and its Iraqi satraps. But the war against terror can still be won. We shall prevail. Victory or death. And it shall be death. President Bush's announcement early this morning tolled every bell. A billion dollars of extra aid for Iraq, a diary of future success as the Shia powers of Iraq still to be referred to as the "democratically elected government" march in lockstep with America's best men and women to restore order and strike fear into the hearts of al-Qa'ida. It will take time oh, yes, it will take years, at least three in the words of Washington's top commander in the field, General Raymond Odierno this week but the mission will be accomplished. Mission accomplished. Wasn't that the refrain almost four years ago, on that lonely aircraft carrier off California, Bush striding the deck in his flying suit? And only a few months later, the President had a message for Osama bin Laden and the insurgents of Iraq. "Bring 'em on!" he shouted. And on they came. Few paid attention late last year when the Islamist leadership of this most ferocious of Arab rebellions proclaimed Bush a war criminal but asked him not to withdraw his troops. "We haven't yet killed enough of them," their videotaped statement announced. Well, they will have their chance now. How ironic that it was the ghastly Saddam, dignified amid his lynch mob, who dared on the scaffold to tell the truth which Bush and Blair would not utter: that Iraq has become "hell" .
President Bush's announcement early this morning tolled every bell. A billion dollars of extra aid for Iraq, a diary of future success as the Shia powers of Iraq still to be referred to as the "democratically elected government" march in lockstep with America's best men and women to restore order and strike fear into the hearts of al-Qa'ida. It will take time oh, yes, it will take years, at least three in the words of Washington's top commander in the field, General Raymond Odierno this week but the mission will be accomplished.
Mission accomplished. Wasn't that the refrain almost four years ago, on that lonely aircraft carrier off California, Bush striding the deck in his flying suit? And only a few months later, the President had a message for Osama bin Laden and the insurgents of Iraq. "Bring 'em on!" he shouted. And on they came. Few paid attention late last year when the Islamist leadership of this most ferocious of Arab rebellions proclaimed Bush a war criminal but asked him not to withdraw his troops. "We haven't yet killed enough of them," their videotaped statement announced.
Well, they will have their chance now. How ironic that it was the ghastly Saddam, dignified amid his lynch mob, who dared on the scaffold to tell the truth which Bush and Blair would not utter: that Iraq has become "hell" .
President is sending more U.S. troops, but says Iraqis must take the lead in the war. President Bush appealed directly to the American people Wednesday night to support a renewed campaign to pacify Iraq, saying it was necessary to add new troops so that the beleaguered Iraqi government can regain control of the streets of Baghdad and revive the process of political reconciliation and economic rebuilding. In a nationally televised address from the White House, Bush acknowledged for the first time that he had not sent enough troops to provide security in Iraq last year. Standing in the library of the White House, Bush described the situation in Iraq as "unacceptable" to the American people and to him. "Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely. They have done everything we have asked them to do," he said. "Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me."
President Bush appealed directly to the American people Wednesday night to support a renewed campaign to pacify Iraq, saying it was necessary to add new troops so that the beleaguered Iraqi government can regain control of the streets of Baghdad and revive the process of political reconciliation and economic rebuilding.
In a nationally televised address from the White House, Bush acknowledged for the first time that he had not sent enough troops to provide security in Iraq last year. Standing in the library of the White House, Bush described the situation in Iraq as "unacceptable" to the American people and to him. "Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely. They have done everything we have asked them to do," he said. "Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me."
