PENNSYLVANIA, December 12 – President Bush held his first speech in a series of three leading up to the elections on December 15th in Iraq. His goal is to increase support for the war in Iraq in times that his approval rating is at an all-time low.
Several causes can be identified for the lacking support for this war. One of the most important reasons is the casualty rate, over 2,100 U.S. soldiers have died in this war and the rate is not slowing down. Also a major factor is the fact that the public sees no real progress, the insurgent attacks remain and even increase on times, the democratic process is slow and the citizens in Iraq would rather see the U.S. troops go.
Despite all this Bush still thinks he has made the right decision, in his speech today he even noted that if he had to make the choice again with all the knowledge he has gained since he would do it the same. Some might say that just makes him a hard learner.
In an unusual move the President allowed questions from the audience after the speech, a risky move. One reporter asked why he keeps linking 9/11 to the war in Iraq. Bush answered that 9/11 changed his view on foreign policy forever and the threat of Saddam Hussein was accentuated by the terror attacks. Another reporter asked if he knew how many Iraqi’s died in the war so far. Bush responded with an estimation of 30,000. An unreal number but quite possibly accurate, he added that every new democracy faces its challenges and even compared the Iraq situation to the foundation of the United States.
It’s highly unlikely he will be able to round up support for a war that should have never been started. Instead of learning from his mistakes he keeps making new ones, luckily it’s just a matter of time before he will be gone from the stage forever.
