Renewed Effort Needed By Congress For Continued Success
Washington
The need for continued support and resources for our United States Forces was a main theme in the final State of the Union Address by President George W. Bush.
The President addressed the nation with the Joint Chiefs of State, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, several honored and invited Iraqi War veterans, and entire Congress looking on. “We met last year at the State of the Union Address, and many people stated that making progress, containing and stopping the violence in Iraq was impossible,†said President Bush. “Now, here we are a year later, civilian deaths are down, sectarian killings are down, and high profile terrorist attacks are also down,†said President Bush.
“We have achieved with the surge results and a level of success few could have foreseen a year ago,†said the President. There has been a great deal of havoc dealt in Iraq in the last year, and the President spoke about the heavy toll on both our troops and the citizens of Iraq. “We have been able to kill or capture hundreds of militia fighters, our troops are helping to rebuild the Iraqi Army and National Police,†stated President Bush.
“Iraqi citizens are seizing the opportunity, they realize that in helping defeat these insurgent and terrorist elements it is vitally important to their future, and that of their country,†stated President Bush. One year ago there was a number of different areas that were strongholds for Al-Qaeda in Iraq. “Now, today it is Al-Qaeda that is on the run, we have eliminated the strongholds once held by the enemy, and driven them out,†said Bush.
“Some people may doubt or believe that the current surge is productive, or working. But when Osama Bin Laden begins to scold the tribal leaders, when Osama Bin Laden says we are succeeding, its hard to deny our success,†remarked President Bush.
