综合一区欧美国产,99国产麻豆免费精品,九九精品黄色录像,亚洲激情青青草,久久亚洲熟妇熟,中文字幕av在线播放,国产一区二区卡,九九久久国产精品,久久精品视频免费

   

Five years on, Bush again talks of Iraq victory

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-03-20 06:32

UPBEAT BUT TEMPERED ASSESSMENT

Bush stopped short of promising outright victory, as he had earlier before sectarian violence swept Iraq last year. "No one would argue that this war has not come at a high cost in lives and treasure, but those costs are necessary," he said.

The war has cost the United States $500 billion. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed and millions displaced. Nearly 4,000 US soldiers have been killed, as well as 175 British troops and 134 from other countries.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll showed nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the war was not worth waging.

Told about the poll in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," Vice President Dick Cheney, in Oman after a visit to Iraq, said dismissively: "So?"

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "The cost to our national security has been immense -- our military is stretched thin and our reputation in the world is damaged."

Scattered anti-war protests were staged in US cities. In Washington, 32 people were arrested for blocking entry to the Internal Revenue Service and a few dozen noisy demonstrators shouted antiwar slogans outside the White House gates.

Bush, who had strong public support after the al Qaeda attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, has long called Iraq as a central front against Islamic extremists. But Democrats say his administration has been distracted from what they see as a more important struggle in Afghanistan.

In his speech, Bush hailed the increased role of Iraqi Sunnis in the fight against Sunni Islamist al Qaeda as the "first large-scale Arab uprising against Osama bin Laden, his grim ideology, and his murderous network."

Absent from Bush's speech was any mention of the Iraqi government's record on sectarian reconciliation, an area in which there has been only halting progress.

Violence across Iraq has dropped 60 percent since 30,000 extra US troops became fully deployed in June. But a recent spate of attacks showed that Iraq was far from safe.

Bush's speech was his second in lead-up to the next status report Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus will give to Congress in early April. The military will complete the withdrawal of about 20,000 troops by July, leaving about 140,000 in Iraq.

Bush reiterated any decision on bringing more troops home would depend on recommendations from commanders on the ground.

   1 2   


Top World News  
Today's Top News  
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
温泉县| 敖汉旗| 红河县| 鄄城县| 彰化县| 宜昌市| 永和县| 玛纳斯县| 弥渡县| 江油市| 敦化市| 红原县| 兰西县| 洞口县| 宝坻区| 禹州市| 勐海县| 石河子市| 扬州市| 南岸区| 罗江县| 平邑县| 浦城县| 兴城市| 朝阳县| 呼图壁县| 昌邑市| 根河市| 岗巴县| 威海市| 巴彦淖尔市| 青神县| 闽侯县| 保山市| 临澧县| 浪卡子县| 萝北县| 微山县| 双桥区| 鹿邑县| 秀山|