US President George W. Bush, offered a fresh endorsement yesterday to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki.
Bush's expression of support for Al Maliki came in a speech arguing the case for remaining in Iraq despite doubts and frustrations.
"As long as I am commander in chief we will fight to win," Bush said to heavy applause from the Veterans of Foreign Wars conference. "I'm confident that we will prevail." "Our troops are seeing the progress that is being made on the ground," Bush said. "And as they take the initiative from the enemy, they have a question: "Will their elected leaders in Washington pull the rug out from under them just as they are gaining momentum and changing the dynamic on the ground in Iraq?" Here's my answer: We'll support our troops, we'll support our commanders, and we will give them everything they need to succeed.
The flap over Al Maliki stole the spotlight from Bush's attempt to compare the war in Iraq to US involvements in Asia that lost popular backing but which he argues eventually proved their worth and led to lasting peace. "We are still in the early hours of the current ideological struggle, but we know how the others ended, and that knowledge helps guide our efforts today," the president said.
"The ideals and interests that led America to help the Japanese turn defeat into democracy are the same that lead us to remain engaged in Afghanistan and Iraq," Bush said. "The defence strategy that refused to hand the South Koreans over to a totalitarian neighbour helped raise up an Asian Tiger that is a model for developing countries across the world, including the Middle East.
"The result of American sacrifice and perseverance in Asia," he said, "is a freer, more prosperous and stable continent whose people want to live in peace with America not attack America."
