Standing before a crowd of uniformed soldiers, President Bush addressed the nation on June 27 to reaffirm America's commitment to the global war on terrorism. But throughout the speech Bush continually stated his opinions and conclusions as though they were facts, and he offered little specific evidence to support his assertions.
Here we provide some additional context, both facts that support Bush's case that "we have made significant progress" in Iraq, as well as some of the negative evidence he omitted.
Analysis
Bush's prime-time speech at Fort Bragg, NC coincided with the one-year anniversary of the handover of sovereignty to Iraqi authorities. It was designed to lay out America's role in Iraq amid sinking public support for the war and calls by some lawmakers to withdraw troops.
The Bloodshed
Bush acknowledged the high level of violence in Iraq as he sought to reassure the public.
Bush: The work in Iraq is difficult and dangerous. Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed. Every picture is horrifying and the suffering is real. Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it?
What Bush did not mention is that by most measures the violence is getting worse. Both April and May were record months in Iraq for car bombings, for example, with more than 135 of them being set off each month. And the bombings are getting more deadly. May was a record month for deaths from bombings, with 381 persons killed in "multiple casualty" bombings that took two or more lives, according to figures collected by the Brookings Institution in its "Iraq Index." The Brookings index is compiled from a variety of sources including official government statistics, where those are available, and other public sources such as news accounts and statements of Iraqi government officials.
The number of Iraqi police and military who have been killed is also rising, reaching 296 so far in June, nearly triple the 109 recorded in January and 103 in February, according to a tally of public information by the website Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, a private group that documents each fatality from public statements and news reports. Estimates of the total number of Iraqi civilians killed each month as a result of "acts of war" have been rising as well, according to the Brookings index.
The trend is also evident in year-to-year figures. In the past twelve months, there have been 25% more U.S. troop fatalities and nearly double the average number of insurgent attacks per day as there were in the preceding 12 months.
Reconstruction Progress
In talking about Iraqi reconstruction, Bush highlighted the positive and omitted the negative:
Bush: We continued our efforts to help them rebuild their country. . . . Our progress has been uneven but progress is being made. We are improving roads and schools and health clinics and working to improve basic services like sanitation, electricity and water. And together with our allies, we will help the new Iraqi government deliver a better life for its citizens.
Indeed, the State Department's most recent Iraq Weekly Status Report shows progress is uneven. Education is a positive; official figures show 3,056 schools have been rehabilitated and millions of "student kits" have been distributed to primary and secondary schools. School enrollments are increasing. And there are also 145 new primary healthcare centers currently under construction. The official figures show 78 water treatment projects underway, nearly half of them completed, and water utility operators are regularly trained in two-week courses.
On the negative side, however, State Department figures show overall electricity production is barely above pre-war levels. Iraqis still have power only 12 hours daily on average.
Iraqis are almost universally unhappy about that. Fully 96 percent of urban Iraqis said they were dissatisfied when asked about "the availability of electricity in your neighborhood." That poll was conducted in February for the U.S. military, and results are reported in Brookings' "Iraq Index." The same poll also showed that 20 percent of Iraqi city-dwellers still report being without water to their homes.
Conclusions or Facts?
The President repeatedly stated his upbeat conclusions as though they were facts. For example, he said of "the terrorists:"
Bush: They failed to break our coalition and force a mass withdrawal by our allies. They failed to incite an Iraqi civil war.
In fact, there have been withdrawals by allies. Spain pulled out its 1,300 soldiers in April, and Honduras brought home its 370 troops at the same time. The Philippines withdrew its 51 troops last summer to save the life of a Filipino hostage held captive for eight months in Iraq. Ukraine has already begun a phased pullout of its 1,650-person contingent, which the Defense Ministry intends to complete by the end of the year. Both the Netherlands and Italy have announced plans to withdraw their troops, and the Bulgarian parliament recently granted approval to bring home its 450 soldiers. Poland, supplying the third-largest contingent in the coalition after Italy's departure, has backed off a plan for full withdrawal of troops due to the success of Iraqi elections and talks with Condoleezza Rice, but the Polish Press Agency announced in June that the next troop rotation will have 200 fewer soldiers.
Bush is of course entitled to argue that these withdrawals don't constitute a "mass" withdrawal, but an argument isn't equivalent to a fact.
The same goes for Bush's statement there's no "civil war" going on. In fact, some believe that what's commonly called the "insurgency" already is a "civil war" or something very close to it. For example, in an April 30 piece, the Times of London quotes Colonel Salem Zajay, a police commander in Southern Baghdad, as saying, "The war is not between the Iraqis and the Americans. It is between the Shia and the Sunni." Again, Bush is entitled to state his opinion to the contrary, but stating a thing doesn't make it so.
Terrorism
Similarly, Bush equated Iraqi insurgents with terrorists who would attack the US if they could.
Bush: There is only one course of action against them: to defeat them abroad before they attack us at home. . . . Our mission in Iraq is clear. We are hunting down the terrorists .
Despite a few public claims to the contrary, however, no solid evidence has surfaced linking Iraq to attacks on the United States, and Bush offered none in his speech. The 9/11 Commission issued a staff report more than a year ago saying "so far we have no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on attacks against the United States." It said Osama bin Laden made a request in 1994 to establish training camps in Iraq, but "but Iraq apparently never responded." That was before bin Laden was ejected from Sudan and moved his operation to Afghanistan.
Bush laid stress on the "foreign" or non-Iraqi elements in the insurgency as evidence that fighting in Iraq might prevent future attacks on the US:
Bush: I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country . And tonight I will explain the reasons why.
Some of the violence you see in Iraq is being carried out by ruthless killers who are converging on Iraq to fight the advance of peace and freedom. Our military reports that we have killed or captured hundreds of foreign fighters in Iraq who have come from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and other nations.
But Bush didn't mention that the large majority of insurgents are Iraqis, not foreigners. The overall strength of the insurgency has been estimated at about 16,000 persons. The number of foreign fighters in Iraq is only about 1,000, according to estimates reported by the Brookings Institution. The exact number is of course impossible to know. However, over the course of one week during the major battle for Fallujah in November of 2004, a Marine official said that only about 2% of those detained were foreigners. To be sure, Brookings notes that "U.S. military believe foreign fighters are responsible for the majority of suicide bombings in Iraq," with perhaps as many as 70 percent of bombers coming from Saudi Arabia alone. It is anyone's guess how many of those Saudi suicide bombers might have attempted attacks on US soil, but a look at the map shows that a Saudi jihadist can drive across the border to Baghdad much more easily than getting nearly halfway around the world to the US.
Osama bin Laden
Bush quoted a recent tape-recorded message by bin Laden as evidence that the Iraq conflict is "a central front in the war on terror":
Bush: Hear the words of Osama bin Laden: "This Third World War is raging" in Iraq..."The whole world is watching this war." He says it will end in "victory and glory or misery and humiliation."
However, Bush passed over the fact that the relationship between bin Laden and the Iraqi insurgents – to the extent one existed at all before – grew much closer after the US invaded Iraq. Insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi did not announce his formal allegiance with bin Laden until October, 2004. It was only then that Zarqawi changed the name of his group from "Unification and Holy War Group" to "al Qaeda in Iraq."
In summary, we found nothing false in what Bush said, only that his facts were few and selective.
Absolute faith has been shown, consistently, to breed intolerance. And intolerance, history teaches us, again and again, begets violence.
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President George Bush: "Over time the truth will come out."
President George Bush: "Our people are going to find out the truth, and the truth will say that this intelligence was good intelligence. There's no doubt in my mind."
Bush was right. The truth did come out and the facts are he misled Congress and the American people about the reasons we should go to war in Iraq.
posted on August 9, 2005 11:07:45 AM new
What a bunch of hogwash! Bush & Co. keep talking about the progress taking place with rebuilding, etc. Where?? Show the world the progress. I haven't seen one picture of rebuilding in Afghanistan or Iraq since this war started because there aren't any.
posted on August 9, 2005 11:25:22 AM new
Last time we asked for proof, someone here gave us a link. That link had pictures of soldiers posing for pictures or riding camels. There was not one picture of "before and after" shots.
Absolute faith has been shown, consistently, to breed intolerance. And intolerance, history teaches us, again and again, begets violence.
----------------------------------
President George Bush: "Over time the truth will come out."
President George Bush: "Our people are going to find out the truth, and the truth will say that this intelligence was good intelligence. There's no doubt in my mind."
Bush was right. The truth did come out and the facts are he misled Congress and the American people about the reasons we should go to war in Iraq.
posted on August 9, 2005 11:37:31 AM new
I'm surprised the poster didn't add that the camels were used by Halliburton to haul heavy rebuilding supplies.
Geez Logan, how many times have you and I tried to get someone from the right to show us (not talk about) all the good stuff happening over there only to be laughed at. Are these moments so brief nobody can catch them on film or disk? What would be better PR for Bush than to show all the rebuilding going on only to have it bombed by the insurgents? Wouldn't this help to make his case?
posted on August 9, 2005 11:48:54 AM newIn talking about Iraqi reconstruction, Bush highlighted the positive and omitted the negative:
That's because all we get to hear is the negative news from the anti-war people. So no reason for him to repeat all that too. War is hell. Plus this President has always been a determined and positive man. Doesn't focus on the negative....focuses on the positive things - get more things accomplished that way....AND don't end up so miserable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And I very much like the last sentence:
In summary, we found nothing false in what Bush said, only that his facts were few and selective.
As we all do when expressing our own opinions....state them as WE see them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
[ edited by Linda_K on Aug 9, 2005 11:59 AM ]
posted on August 9, 2005 12:05:08 PM new
Maybe the President applies this suggestion to his own life. Taken from a very old song.
(Johnny Mercer / Harold Arlen)
[b]You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between[/b]
You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
(To illustrate his last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
Just when everything looked so dark)
Man, they said we better
Accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, do not mess with Mister In-Between
Do you hear me, hmm?
(Oh, listen to me children and-a you will hear
About the elininatin' of the negative
And the accent on the positive)
And gather 'round me children if you're willin'
And sit tight while I start reviewin'
The attitude of doin' right
(You've gotta accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between)
You've got to spread joy (up to the maximum)
Bring gloom (down) down to the minimum
Otherwise (otherwise) pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
To illustrate (well illustrate) my last remark (you got the floor) Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they say (what did they say)
Say when everything looked so dark
Man, they said we better
Accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No! Don't mess with Mister In-Between
posted on August 9, 2005 12:09:04 PM new
But Linda, as well as hearing about the negative, we can see from pictures and film what's going on. Should be the same for the positive but we only hear talk of the good stuff and don't see any pictures or film about it. That's why many aren't buying it, like myself.
posted on August 9, 2005 12:19:01 PM new
Linda, what's positive about a President who has no idea what he's gotten the world into? If I had a million dollars, I'd bet it all that Bush never comes up with an exit plan, and when he finishes his term, the war will be worse than it is now. My only hope would be that another Republican fills his shoes so they can clean up what they started.
posted on August 9, 2005 12:57:54 PM new
KD - Even your own country is making changes because of the terrorists and their attacks. You might not approve...but it appears your government knows better how to protect your citizens. That's what this President is and has been doing.
I don't understand why those on the left aren't able to see why it's necessary we win this war in Iraq. I have yet to see one of you lefties state 'I hope we win'. It's always negative stuff....or admit defeat and get out. We're not going to do that under this President....until, as he has stated over and over again, the Iraqi people can defend themselves.
Just think for one minute if we pulled out right now at the massacres that would take place there.....just like they did in VN. Is that what you on the left want to see happen?
You keep asking for the same thing over and over, KD. I've gone out of my way, continually taking my time to find and posts those links for you.....but all that happens is you just continue requesting them again and again. Imo, you don't WANT to see anything positive that happens in Iraq. You just enjoy focusing on the negative.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on August 9, 2005 01:43:21 PM new
Linda, what I wonder is, have these terrorists been allowed to do anything they want and roam freely throughtout our countries for decades, weaving their web of organized terror behind everyone's back? We've only really heard of their existance in our countries since 911. How did it get this way so fast? And if it's been going on for decades, how come nobody clued in?
The way I feel about winning the war in Iraq is at what overall expense? Do you believe the world is safer? What about the U.S.? What about the Middle East? I'm worried about the future because of this war and what it might bring. I've never felt like that about any other war I've lived through.
As for pictures of the reconstruction, I keep talking about it because I haven't seen any yet. I've read articles but haven't seen anything to back it up, where as I've seen pictures to back up the claims of unarmoured vehicles, etc. If you or someone can post a picture or provide a link to a picture of the reconstruction, I'll shut up and not bring it up again.
posted on August 9, 2005 02:06:17 PM new
KD - You are wrong if you think terrorists attacks just began with 9-11. Maybe you should do some reading on the subject.
Secondly....answer me this please. If we followed your advice and just pulled out.....do you see or believe that all will return to peacefulness again? Do you not believe the terrorists like binladen would see that as they've won?
On the links to keep you from asking again. You can mention or ask as often as you like. But since you've refused to accept the links I have already provided many times and only want to see pictures, some of which WERE included in m y links.....I'm just saying I'm not wasting my time on you again. It's my opinion you don't WANT to see anything positive that's been done or is being done over there.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on August 9, 2005 02:30:31 PM new
" Imo, you don't WANT to see anything positive that happens in Iraq. You just enjoy focusing on the negative. "
BINGO-Of course they dont want to see anything positive to happen-it would make the Bush administration look good-thats the last thing they would want to see.They really enjoy it when bad news comes out of Iraq to prove a point.They love it when soldiers and Iraqis get killed so they can say "see I told you so,Im right and you're wrong" Thats why they posted coffins of soliders coming home-they eat this stuff up alive.
posted on August 9, 2005 02:49:35 PM new
Linda, I didn't say they didn't attack before 911, I said you never heard of their existance in our countries before 911. After 911, Tom Ridge informed everyone that there were hundreds, maybe more, of terrorist cells in the U.S. and Canada. How did that happen??
As for pulling out, I've never said the U.S. should do that. I'm on the fence because, imo, no matter what happens it'll be a long time before things calm down. Again, I don't think Bush will leave while he's in office, not because he doesn't want to, but because he has no exit plan - never did.
Linda, so I guess you're telling me that you don't want me to shut up... in so many words.
posted on August 9, 2005 03:06:57 PM new
Classic, seeing pictures of a flag draped coffin should be sad. It should remind us all of the sacrifices these people made. Instead, Bush chose to hide these men and women. Same way Viet Nam vets were treated when they got back.
posted on August 9, 2005 03:08:16 PM new
kraft, do you really think because the general public wasnt aware of any threat, the national security people werent?
They knew about these terrorists even before they bombed the Cole or the 1st world trade center. But perhaps they underestimated their ever flourishing intent and resentment of us? I'd say it has alot to do with our role in Israel, or they think we are out to steal their oil, or they simply distain the fact that we dont make people get on their knees and pray three times a day...or a combination of all of the above.
I worked for a risk management company. That was many years ago. I always remember one the guys saying to me, "China and Korea - Those are the ones to look out for!!"... and now years later, that is slowly becoming commmon knowledge to people (that is if they are interesting in knowing about it) so he knew what he was talking about!
.
[ edited by dblfugger9 on Aug 9, 2005 03:10 PM ]
posted on August 9, 2005 03:22:34 PM new
Double, of course the government knew way ahead of 911, but that makes it worse because they didn't do anything to secure vulnerable targets like airports, etc. until after 911. That's like saying you know there's a bomb in your house but not doing anything about it until it goes off. That doesn't make sense to me.
As For China & Korea, it's kind of a no-brainer. Any time you get countries that have big populations and spend all their money on the military, you know it's for a reason.
posted on August 9, 2005 03:44:02 PM new
W e l lll lllll, if you wanna blame somebody for not doing anything about it - blame Clinton. He was in office for 8 years!!
posted on August 9, 2005 03:55:36 PM new
That's right dbl...but they don't like his name being mentioned...unless it's to praise him.
And therein, imo, lies the problem. While KD professes that we never heard of terrorists being in our country before 9-11. That's just not so. I've said it over and over and over again....but it just doesn't sink in with some people. We were ATTACKED 5 times by terrorists during the clinton administration. They were very much aware of where the terrrists were and knew in which countries the most radical ones lived.
KD - You are only fooling yourself, my dear.
As for pulling out, I've never said the U.S. should do that.
I'm disappointed to read you denying that, KD. I've seen many posts where you praised others with 'good post' so and so....when they have.
I personally have NEVER read you saying we shouldn't either.
I don't think Bush will leave while he's in office, not because he doesn't want to, but because he has no exit plan - never did.
Again you are very wrong. He's stated over and over again what our exit plan is. Because you and other's pretend he hasn't....because you and others won't verify his own words yourself.....you keep mistating the actual facts.
Linda, so I guess you're telling me that you don't want me to shut up... in so many words. lol...nope....I'm telling you are being redundant....and because you don't WANT to accept the facts....won't be changing a thing.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on August 9, 2005 04:12:00 PM newAs for pulling out, I've never said the U.S. should do that.
Funny thing is Linda, I saw some general on the news today being grilled by the media and his answer was the most truthful logical thing I've heard yet. He said, because the terrorists operate the way they do, everything there is event driven and we cant make plans based on future events that we dont know is or is not going to happen."
They also chimmed in that his comment about Iran was a veiled threat. But that makes perfect sense to me, too. (If Iran continues their involvement, it will, of course cause problems for them.) What else could you think?
I dont mind saying, I think its gonna cause some major problems for us, too! They probably need to get some special forces over there now, if not there already. But I hope all the Middle Easterners (Syria Libia, Etc.)wake up to 2005, too, and realize they have to work out a diplomatic solution, or they're gonna blow it up all and then the astronauts will come back from a space launch and find the monkeys all running the planet! hahahahaha!!
Iraq/Iran .... beruit...now where's classic... isnt that in a Stevie wonder song somewhere?...which one? I cant remember....
(Momma gremlin is mad today! That or I need a new keyboard for sure!)
[ edited by dblfugger9 on Aug 9, 2005 04:16 PM ]
posted on August 9, 2005 04:31:35 PM new
There will be very few lasting reconstruction projects in Iraq as long as the war continues. With war, comes destruction and death. It's messy.
They love it when soldiers and Iraqis get killed so they can say "see I told you so,Im right and you're wrong"
Don't be silly, Classic. Do you really think we want to see some of our family or loved ones and innocents killed or hurt just to prove a point that Bush and his administration were wrong going to war? No one I know is that stupid or whacked out.
posted on August 9, 2005 07:53:33 PM new
"No one I know is that stupid or whacked out."
LOL I could name at least one in here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Golfer:Stop checking your watch all the time,its too much of a distraction.
Caddy:Its not a watch, its a compass
posted on August 10, 2005 12:16:06 AM new
"" don't understand why those on the left aren't able to see why it's necessary we win this war in Iraq. I have yet to see one of you lefties state 'I hope we win'. It's always negative stuff....or admit defeat and get out. We're not going to do that under this President....until, as he has stated over and over again, the Iraqi people can defend themselves.
Just think for one minute if we pulled out right now at the massacres that would take place there.....just like they did in VN. Is that what you on the left want to see happen? ""
Linda, don't you know it's no longer a "war"...it's a "struggle". Please use the correct Repug terminology.
There aren't massacres happening now????????
Oh no, there couldn't be...Iraq has a whopping 3,000 policemen making sure there's no violence in Iraq.
Classless says, "They love it when soldiers and Iraqis get killed so they can say "see I told you so,Im right and you're wrong" Thats why they posted coffins of soliders coming home-they eat this stuff up alive. ""
WE didn't send soldiers to die and it's total non-logic to say we're happy about it. WE don't like seeing Americans killed for a lie. YOU do!
Bush dishonors our heroes by forbidding their returning coffins to be photographed.
Then Classless says, ""No one I know is that stupid or whacked out."
LOL I could name at least one in here ""
Shame on you! What a
nasty way to talk about Dble even if it is true!
Who said anything about auctions? Jack Sprat could eat no fat , his wife could eat no lean....so her brain exploded.
