Bush discusses lengthy U.S. presence in Iraq

Question: There was a handful that have come back, and they all say the exact same thing; that a growing number of Americans are questioning the trustworthiness of you and this White House.

Does that concern you?

President Bush: I believe that my job is to go out and explain to the people what's on my mind.  That's why I'm having this press conference, see?  I'm telling you what's on my mind.  And what's on my mind is winning the war on terror.

And I understand war creates concerns.  Nobody likes war.  It creates a sense of uncertainty in the country.  You know, the person you talked to in Cleveland is uncertain about our ability to go forward.

She's uncertain about whether or not we can succeed, and I understand that.

War creates trauma, particularly when you're fighting an enemy that doesn't fight soldier to soldier.  They fight by using IEDs to kill innocent people.  That's what they use.  That's the tool they use.

And it creates a sense of concern amongst our people.  And that makes sense.  And I know that, and one of the reasons why it's important for me to continue to speak out and explain why we have a strategy for victory, why we can succeed.

And I'm going to say it again:  If I didn't believe we could succeed, I wouldn't be there.  I wouldn't put those kids there.  I meet with too many families who's lost a loved one to not be able to look them in the eye and say, "We're doing the right thing," and we are doing a right thing.

A democracy in Iraq is going to affect the neighborhood.  A democracy in Iraq is going to inspire reformers in a part of the world that is desperate for reformation.

Our foreign policy up until now was to, kind of, tolerate what appeared to be calm, and underneath the surface was this swelling sense of anxiety and resentment, out of which came this totalitarian movement that is willing to spread its propaganda through death and destruction, to spread its philosophy.

Now, some in this country don't -- I can understand it -- don't view the enemy that way.  I guess they, kind of, view it as an isolated group of people that occasionally kill.  I just don't see it that way.  I see them bound by a philosophy with plans and tactics to impose their will on other countries.

The enemy has said that it's just a matter of time before the United States loses its nerve and withdraws from Iraq.  That's what they have said.

And their objective for driving us out of Iraq is to have a place from which to launch their campaign to overthrow moderate governments in the Middle East, as well as to continue attacking places like the United States.

Now, maybe some discount those words as, kind of, meaningless propaganda.

I don't.  I take them really seriously.  And I think everybody in government should take them seriously and respond accordingly.

And so, I've got to continue to speak as clearly as I possibly can about the consequences of success and the consequences of failure and why I believe we can succeed.

MORE FROM POLITICS

Politics Section Front

Aspiring reality TV stars crash Obama party Obama to speak Tuesday on Afghanistan policy U.S. sets climate target ahead of summit Obama's first pardon: A turkey called 'Courage' Records show White House health care talks Stars are out at White House state dinner The history of presidential turkey pardons Analysis: Obama not a ‘gut player’ on war Is Obama's star dimming as U.S. stock drops? NYT: Medical debt spurs more bankruptcies Politics Section Front   Add Politics headlines to your news reader: