Wednesday, November 30, 2005

President Outlines Strategy for Victory in Iraq

White House reports Speaking before United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland President Outlines Strategy for Victory in Iraq..... Not all Sunnis fall into the rejectionist camp. Of those that do, most are not actively fighting us -- but some give aid and comfort to the enemy. Many Sunnis boycotted the January elections -- yet as democracy takes hold in Iraq, they are recognizing that opting out of the democratic process has hurt their interests. And today, those who advocate violent opposition are being increasingly isolated by Sunnis who choose peaceful participation in the democratic process. Sunnis voted in the recent constitutional referendum in large numbers -- and Sunni coalitions have formed to compete in next month's elections -- or, this month's elections. We believe that, over time, most rejectionists will be persuaded to support a democratic Iraq led by a federal government that is a strong enough government to protect minority rights. The second group that makes up the enemy in Iraq is smaller, but more determined. It contains former regime loyalists who held positions of power under Saddam Hussein -- people who still harbor dreams of returning to power. These hard-core Saddamists are trying to foment anti-democratic sentiment amongst the larger Sunni community. They lack popular support and therefore cannot stop Iraq's democratic progress. And over time, they can be marginalized and defeated by the Iraqi people and the security forces of a free Iraq. The third group is the smallest, but the most lethal: the terrorists affiliated with or inspired by al Qaeda . Many are foreigners who are coming to fight freedom's progress in Iraq. This group includes terrorists from Saudi Arabia, and Syria, and Iran, and Egypt, and Sudan, and Yemen, and Libya, and other countries. Our commanders believe they're responsible for most of the suicide bombings, and the beheadings, and the other atrocities we see on our television.

The Dems complain there is nothing new here, but they would not have been satisfied with anything other than an immediate pullout, and I think he makes a number of very good points

2 comments:

Kobayashi Maru said...

With Iraqi elections in only two weeks, this is the Dems positioning themselves to say [Bush] is finally doing what we recommended - setting out a plan and starting to remove the troops. It's the same kind of running to the front of a parade that someone else is leading strategy that Clinton absolutely mastered.

Don Singleton said...

You are absolutely correct. They dont know how to lead, but they know how to run in front of the parade and say lets go this way.