President George W. Bush argued Thursday night that his plan to begin gradually withdrawing some troops from Iraq was a "return on success" that could be squandered by deeper and speedier reductions.
Bush continues to stake his presidency on the chance for a turnaround in Iraq before he leaves office.
The assassination Thursday of the leader of the Sunni Arab revolt against al-Qaida militants dealt a setback to one of the few success stories in U.S. efforts to stabilize Iraq, but tribesmen in Anbar province vowed not to be deterred in fighting the terror movement.
President Bush, defending an unpopular war, ordered gradual reductions in U.S. forces in Iraq on Thursday night and said, "The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home."
President Bush once again failed to provide a plan to successfully end the war in Iraq, Democrats said after his prime time address Thursday while touting their strategy "to responsibly and rapidly" begin pulling U.S. forces out of the war zone.
Political realignment in Iraq's volatile Anbar province was Exhibit A for President Bush's argument Thursday that Iraq is a fight that the United States is winning.
US President George W. Bush announced Thursday he will pull some 21,500 combat troops from Iraq by mid-2008, but ruled out a full withdrawal and promised an "enduring" US presence there.
A Sunni Arab tribal leader instrumental in driving al Qaeda out of Iraq's Anbar province was killed by a bomb on Thursday, hours before U.S. President George W. Bush endorsed limited U.S. troop cuts in Iraq.
Congress required President Bush to submit a report to lawmakers by Sept. 15 assessing whether Iraq's government had made progress on 18 political, military and other goals.
Democrats on Thursday rejected President George W. Bush's plan for gradual troop pullbacks in Iraq, accusing him of laying the ground for an "endless and unlimited military presence in Iraq."