Here We Go Again: Bush To Deliver Eighth "Major" Iraq Speech
With lawmakers openly skeptical of his troop buildup, Mr. Bush will cast his plan for a gradual, limited withdrawal as a way to bring a divided America together -- even as he resists demands from those who want him to move much faster.
The prime-time address will be the eighth by Mr. Bush on Iraq since the invasion in March 2003, the latest iteration of his efforts to sketch what he calls "the way forward." It will be the first time he has described a plan for troop reductions, a radical departure for a president who has repeatedly defied his critics' calls to bring the troops home.
Yet as the president outlines his plan, his critics say he is trying to have it both ways. He is, they say, taking credit for a drawdown that has been envisioned since he first announced the current buildup on Jan. 10 -- a withdrawal that had to be carried out unless he was willing to take the politically unpalatable step of extending soldiers' tours further.
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New York Times | September 13, 2007 02:02 PM