WASHINGTON – President Bush stepped before television cameras Tuesday for only the second White House news conference of the year. Questions No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and beyond were about the war in Iraq – the single issue likely to define his legacy.
With his poll numbers dropping and no end to the war in sight, Bush used the nationally broadcast appearance to try, once again, to address Americans’ doubts and explain why he believes Iraq is so important in the war against terror.
Yes, he said, the United States has made mistakes in Iraq. No, he said, Iraq has not plunged into a bloody civil war – an outcome that some Americans fear likely. If the United States pulls out of Iraq now, he said, terrorists will use the country as a launching pad to attack moderate governments in the Middle East and strike at the United States.
“I’m optimistic we’ll succeed,” the president said. “If not, I’d pull our troops out.” He said American forces would remain in Iraq for years, and it would be up to a future president to decide when to bring them all home.
The president rejected calls for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, chief architect of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Listen, every war plan looks good on paper until you meet the enemy,” Bush said, acknowledging mistakes as the United States was forced to switch tactics and change a reconstruction strategy that offered targets for insurgents.
The president spoke for nearly an hour at the news conference, part of a new offensive to ease Americans’ unhappiness with the war and fellow Republicans’ anxiety about fall elections. He faced skeptical questions about Iraq during an appearance Monday in Cleveland and plans another address soon on Iraq.
Public support for the war and for Bush himself has fallen in recent months, jeopardizing the political capital he claimed from his 2004 re-election victory.
“I’d say I’m spending that capital on the war,” Bush said.
The White House believes that people appreciate Bush’s plainspoken approach even if they disagree with his decisions.
“I understand war creates concerns,” the president said. “Nobody likes war. It creates a sense of uncertainty in the country.”
Bush has adamantly refused to set a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.