Bush: Iraq Violence A Necessary Part Of Development

WASHINGTON — President Bush declared on Friday that Iraq stands at a defining moment as it struggles to put down heavily armed Shiite militias in new flare-ups of violence that threaten to undercut security gains and sway his decision about U.S. troop drawdowns.

In Baghdad, Shiite extremists lobbed rockets and mortars against the U.S.-protected Green Zone, which has come under steady barrages this week. The U.S. sent a Hellfire missile into a Shiite stronghold in the city. And in the south, fighting escalated in Basra where the mettle of Iraqi security forces is being sorely tested.

"Any government that presumes to represent the majority of people must confront criminal elements or people who think they can live outside the law," Bush said at the White House. "And that's what's taking place in Basra and in other parts of Iraq. I would say this is a defining moment in the history of a free Iraq."

It's also a key juncture for Bush in the five-year-old war that has claimed 4,000 American lives, worn U.S. forces thin and dominated his presidency.

Bush said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's crackdown in Basra against Shiite militias vying for control of the oil-rich region is a positive milestone in the birth of a democratic nation. The Iraqi prime minister's decision to move against enemy elements in Basra shows "evenhanded justice" and the Iraqi government's willingness to go after both Sunni and Shiite insurgents and outlaws, he said.

Just as important is how the violence plays out. The ability of Iraqi security forces to control places like Basra will color the president's decision on whether to order more U.S. troop withdrawals beyond the five U.S. brigades already returning home by July _ something that's already looking unlikely.

The renewed violence, which has followed months of relative calm, threatened to unravel a fragile cease-fire with followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. How much U.S. troops are drawn into the fight will be a telling sign of the Iraqi forces' ability to protect the nation.

Bush stressed that those Iraqi forces remained in the lead, yet U.S. forces stepped deeper into the fight.

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U.S. pilots assisting Iraqi forces conducted airstrikes on Basra on Friday. American jets dropped bombs in the city, marking a sharp escalation in the fight against insurgents the Pentagon accuses of having links to Iran.

Bush said he did not know what triggered al-Maliki to act.

"This was his decision," Bush said during a news conference with visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who is pulling 550 Australian troops out of Iraq.

Bush said of al-Maliki: "It was his military planning. It was his causing the troops to go from point A to point B. And it's exactly what a lot of folks here in America were wondering whether or not Iraq would even be able to do in the first place."

While he praised the Iraqi government's actions, he cautioned that the situation in Iraq remains "dangerous and fragile." He urged patience.

"They're fighting some pretty tough characters, people who kill innocent people to achieve objectives," he said. "And, yes, there's going to be violence, and that's sad. But this situation needed to be dealt with, and it's now being dealt with."

The Iraqi military campaign has triggered Shiite uprisings in other parts of the country, and, if the violence is not contained it could force U.S. officials to rethink further cutbacks in troop levels.

Early next month, Bush is expected to endorse a temporary halt in the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, has warned against shrinking the American force so rapidly that the gains in security will be compromised.

The latest tally of casualties over the past several weeks shows more high spikes than in previous months _ including several days with 100 or more U.S. military, Iraqi military and Iraqi civilian deaths.

Officials say they are not yet certain whether the upturn in casualties represents a trend of increased violence. And it is not clear that Petraeus will be able to make such a conclusion before he goes before Congress April 8.

___

Associated Press Writer Lolita Baldor contributed to this report.

Comments

[mamacat]

First, he says that violence is down because the surge is working.
Now, he says that violence is up because the surge is working.
Must be great to be George Bush. No matter what the consequences of your actions, you still keep saying and doing the same thing.

Actually, his reasoning about the surge sounds a lot like his reasoning on the economy.
If the economy is good, that means we should increase the deficit and give his rich friends a break on their taxes.
If the economy is bad, that means we should increase the deficit and stimulate the economy by giving his rich friends a break on their taxes.
Does this President care anything at all about the real world that the rest of us have to live in?
What percentage of the populace still believes this man is qualified to even be President?

[Nova16]

This nation has suffered the arrogance and incompetence of George Bush for the past seven years. It must soon come to the reality that the citizens of this country have placed into the highest office in the land the most incapable, inept individual we could have selected to be president and that he has become such a burden at home and abroad that the remaining months of his administration could deliver conditions from which this nation may never recover. His mental stability will require close scrutiny based on his performance thus far.

[transendentilist]

I wonder how the Iraqis feel about having their country used as a battleground to kill terrorists? That incredibly telling slogan, "We are fighting them there, so we don't have to fight them here," says it all.
It's not an honest slogan, not by a long shot. This is nothing short of criminal. We have destroyed Iraq, killed it's citizens, and still, they are no better off than when the war started, worse, actually.
The bush administration is using Iraq, as a killing field for Islamist extremists. We aren't there to save the Iraqi people, or bring democracy, or any other excuse that's been used to support this war/occupation. We are there to kill people, is closer to the reality of all this.
The whole notion that the "terrorists," could come here in numbers large enough to do any real damage, is ludicrous. How are they going to get here? They have no navy, no air force. No missiles, no submarines, no war planes...etc. Nine eleven was a sucker punch. They won't catch us sleeping, anytime soon. They have awakened a sleeping giant, and know they can kill Americans, right in their own backyard, a lot easier than trying to come here.

[Davwbaird]

Of course we have, but look how many Americans have gotten filthy rich, besides dick promised halliburton unending wealth as long as it relocated to Dubai where it can't be touched.

[JM51]

The administration has been threatening to attack IRAN for quite a while now. Let's not be too surprised when IRAN will fights with a vengence. The military probably told the administration that unless we take out the Mahdi army, our troops will be fighting a multi-front war and be outnumbered. Hence the current fight to eliminate al Sadr's boys. Maybe if we're lucky we'll get to use tactical nukes. That ought to liven things up.

[jerrypenguin]

Finally! Bush has some empathy with some of the less privileged segments of American society!

Violence is as American as apple pie. - H. Rap Brown

[CHARLESTHETENTH]

In short, the Iraqi government cannot do it alone without the aid of US forces. This has been the case all along. This administration has got us into a messy War with virtually no end in sight. The British left Basra and the city is coming apart. As much as many Americans would like a US draw-down in Iraq it just ain't going to happen...at least anytime soon. The next administration will be saddled with this monumental problem and in reality there is very little that can be done to end it. This terrible nightmare will continue until acted on by a sane administration that we are not making any meaningful progress in Iraq and the staggering cost in resources and lives are just to much. Iraq will be left on its own with a very fragile government for easy takeover. There will be much further violence as internal factions move for power. Out of all this may come another Saddam to gain control of Iraq by whatever means necessary ..as this may have been the only solution all along because there was never going to be a Democracy. That is not their way. They only know strong leadership. The US will leave Iraq to finally fend for itself but will make compromise for the Oil, whomever is in charge. .History will reflect all the waste in human suffering this War will have caused and be our doing by electing the man responsible for it all. .

[peacepenguin]

To quote Samuel Jackson:

"Will somebody tell me: 'Who brought the motherf***in' snakes on the motherf***in' plane?'"

When oh when will someone in this Administration take responsibility the chaos resulting from their own ignorance that resulted in the horrendous decision to invade Iraq?

(And, BTW, Iraq was NEVER normal.)

[syllepsis]

Impeaching Bush is a necessary part of America's development.

[IntelligentDesign]

Right - it's the precedent stupid!

[LivingStardust]

Precedent for the President. lol. I'd say homophones are fun but some Bushie would accuse me of selling telco equipment to the "Gawdless homuhsexshuls".
___

This joke brought to you by English! The World's Most Flexible Language Since 1066! Use it to criticize your government today!

[DallasNE]

Violence is "necessary" is a far cry from the assurances before the invasion started that victory would be easy and that we would be greeted as liberators. Now that he thinks it is necessay, what level of violence is necessary and how long will it remain necessary? Does he really want to go down that slippery slope? Earth to George Bush, come in please.

[BWonka]

The vio-lence was st-arted by Bu-sh.

[BobSF94117]

"Any government that presumes to represent the majority of people must confront criminal elements or people who think they can live outside the law," Bush said at the White House.

Ruh-roh, sounds like Dick Cheney's days are numbered...

[Davwbaird]

Dicki is relocating to Dubai.

[rmreddicks]

"Any government that presumes to represent the majority of people must confront criminal elements or people who think they can live outside the law,"

Let's get to work.

[GrainOSand]

Barack Obama has been consistent on his position concerning the war in Iraq; we should not have gone in, now let's remove American Soldiers from Iraq intelligently and humanely.

I have been consistent on my view as well;


WE GOT PROBLEMS at HOME!

[transendentilist]

Consistently, would mean he would still be against it when it's time to vote for financing. One who votes, right along with Hillary, to finance this occupation/war, would not in good conscience, keep voting to finance the war. You can't vote to keep a war going, if you were against it from the beginning.
Once more, Obama wants it both ways. Well, he can't have it both ways.

[LaFeminazi]

R U mod r ate ed?

[RobertaInCT]

Yes, yes, yes..........:(

[LaFeminazi]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5CqpEacxdS0

;)

[IntelligentDesign]

That's LOL funny.