Bush: Al-Qaida, Iraq connection is clear

Speech at Air Force base
For his setting, Bush chose Charleston Air Force Base, a vital launching point for cargo and military personnel headed to Iraq. He watched crates of supplies being loaded onto a C-17 at the base, which ships thousands of tons of cargo to front-line troops.

Accompanying Bush was Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a notable defender of the president's policies in Iraq. Such GOP support for Bush in the Senate has been eroding. Still, Bush has rebuffed attempts to pull troops out of Iraq. He says he will not consider a change in strategy until receiving an updated military assessment in September.

The president came to this same military airlift hub in South Carolina nine months ago, when he touted plans for victory in Iraq in a campaign stop. Before leaving, Bush met privately with families of the Charleston firefighters killed while battling a blaze in a furniture warehouse in June. Upon returning to the White House, Bush is meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II, a key U.S. ally.

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