Bush Urges 'New Perspective' On War In Iraq
"Americans should be able to agree that it is in our nation's strategic and moral interests to support the free and democratic Iraq that is emerging in the heart of the Middle East," Bush said in his weekly radio address.
Bush, who hands Barack Obama the keys to the White House on Jan. 20, said Iraq's adoption this week of a U.S.-Iraq security accord and another pact on long-term diplomatic and economic ties warranted a change in outlook.
"As we enter this new phase in America's relations with Iraq, we have an opportunity to adopt a new perspective here at home," said Bush, who has hit record levels of unpopularity in recent public opinion polls.
"There were legitimate differences of opinion about the initial decision to remove Saddam Hussein and the subsequent conduct of the war. But now the surge and the courage of brave Iraqis have turned the situation around," he said.
Bush said the two agreements approved by Iraq's presidency council "will solidify Iraq's democratic gains, affirm its sovereignty, and put its relations with the United States on a strong and steady footing."
The U.S. president credited a strategy centered on his January 2007 "surge" of troops into Iraq for reducing violence to levels where such agreements could be negotiated and agreed.
"The war in Iraq is not yet over -- but thanks to these agreements and the courage of our men and women in Iraq, it is decisively on its way to being won," said Bush.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 06, 2008 15:13 ET (20:13 GMT)
Publié le 06 Décembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones
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