UPDATED ON:
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
04:24 Mecca time, 01:24 GMT
 
News Americas
Bush defends Iraq invasion
Bush stood by his decision to remove Saddam
Hussein from power [GALLO/GETTY]

George Bush, the US president, has staunchly defended the US-led invasion of Iraq and overthrow of Saddam Hussein, its former president.

In a speech to around 10,000 US troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky on Tuesday, Bush praised those who served for taking part in "the great ideological struggle of our time".

"The war in Iraq is not over. But we're drawing closer to the day when our troops come home," Bush told personnel from the US 101st Airborne Division, who have recently returned from serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

"And when they come home, they will come home in victory."

Bush also defended the move to oust the Iraqi leader - later tried and hanged in Iraq by the US-backed government - as "the right decision then, and ... the right decision today".

Fraught negotiations

Troops from the 101st Airborne will be deployed in Afghanistan in the coming weeks, in a sign of the shifting focus of US military strategy from Iraq to Afghanistan - shared by Bush and Barack Obama, the US president-elect.

Last week Iraq and the US signed a security accord requiring Washington to withdraw its forces from the country by the end of 2011.

The Status of Forces Agreement (Sofa) pact was signed last week by Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi foreign minister, and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador, at a ceremony in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital.

It now goes to the Iraqi parliament on Wednesday, where US officials say they are "hopeful" it will pass.

The move followed fraught negotiations between Washington and Baghdad over the pact, which replaces a United Nations mandate due to expire in December.

Sticking points included the rule of law over US troops and civilian contractors on Iraqi soil and assurances that the US military would not use Iraqi territory as a base to launch attacks on neighbouring countries such as Iran and Syria.

The Bush administration, which initially opposed any firm timetable for withdrawing US forces in Iraq - says the latest version of the agreement shows the Iraqis wish to govern and defend themselves following Saddam Hussein's removal in 2003.

"The Iraqis have come a long way, but they're not quite there yet to be able to take care of all their security needs on their own ... They continue to need our support," Dana Perino, the White House spokeswoman, said on Tuesday.

Feedback Number of comments : 20
 
John T. Marohn
United States
26/11/2008
Bush Defends Iraq Invasion
Mr. Bush consistently hides behind the American troops in defending his decision to invade Iraq. There may be a day when he will be charged by an international court in having made that decision, a decision that was responsible for anywhere from 60,000 to over 100,000 Iraqi deaths two million Iraqis displaced within the country and two million who left the country. To continue defending his decision clearly shows how desperate he is to retain his standing with the troops

asiana
Afghanistan
26/11/2008
Hussein
You removed Hussein from power in Iraq, now you have Hussein as your President in your own country...

banasar
India
26/11/2008
War Against Humanism
I have question to all ...? Why this WAR ? For whose sake? For what purposs? Saudi Arabia had given Jiddah air port,baharin given one naval base and kuwait given 350 Bln Br Fuel for the same. Just ask those they helped on that who earned? and what earned ? Shame on Saudi .. We are shame on you. Saddam was a dare person who turned to sell the petrol on EURO basis. He was the peoples leader except other leaders in saudi , bahrine, kuwait and other gulf contries they are just DOLLS !

NAZ
Afghanistan
26/11/2008
Saddam removal?
It was not Saddam Hussein. It was a double they executed. Just gather all the pictures of Saddam and compare them. Don't believe these people use doubles? These people do everything unimaginable. What you never think possible, is being done by these people. Nothing is impossible to them to achieve what they want.

David
Australia
26/11/2008
Iraq
Hussein had committed war crime against humanity as known to some people but where is the weapon of much destruction in Iraq?Which nations supplied Hussein with chemical weapon to be used against both Iraqi &Iran during the Iraq &Iran war? All of you who are supporting washington you are all in the same boat of satan. Perhaps you judge him to died but what about all these people who are dead& dying because of washington take of military control over the world?There is nothing good to any of you

Joe
Australia
26/11/2008
Ideological Struggle??
Ideological struggle? That sounds exactly like the ideological struggle Bush is so passionately fighting against in the Middle East, but with the difference that the Middle Eastern struggle has been labeled as extremism. It all depends on what side of the fence you are standing on.

Otis G. Barlow
United States
26/11/2008
Bush Defends
Sir: George Bush has no other option! He must defend his murderous act before any captive audience. These soldiers are captive they have no choice! Sad! I am still looking for any evidence that Saddam Hussein was more insane than the insanity that replaced him? Are you people really that blind? Ask Charles Manson if he killed anyone! Every mass murdered has an alibi. George Bush is only the symbol of injustice. We have allowed him to endure!

RudiSergio
United States
26/11/2008
Ideological?
Yeah, right, ideological. I say this because Bush is extremely motivated by his extremist Christian faith. Christian v Muslims is NOT ACCEPTABLE. I will never defend this country if Americans declare it a Christian state. What did the pilgrims and other settlers of the US try to escape in Europe? Radical Christianity.

Mogli
France, Metropolitan
26/11/2008
Bush defends Iraq invasion
And now it is time to hang Bush and Blair for crimes against humanity. Let's get rid of this criminal gang. These liars tell you that they've acted the way they did for democracy! What a joke. There are many people out there still sucking their thumbs but i hope you live long enough to see that when the midle east is empty for resources people like Bush and co will no longer have any interest in the region, at least not to the point to sacrifice thousands of american lifes as they did in Irak.

Boucar
Norway
26/11/2008
Invation of Iraq
It's quite strange that Bush still defending his invation of Iraq! He should be brought to the International Court UN Court i Haag asp like those i crimes commited in Ex-Jogoslavia, the Sudan, and so forth....

Ingeborg Westerhoff
Netherlands
26/11/2008
Bad bad Bush
The biggest mistake the U.S. every made was to make Bush president. Many many American families don't have houses or food and sleep under bridges. And what does Bush do? Invade another country. Why doesn't he mind his own business and leave the muslimcountries alone. The arrogance of that man........ makes me so mad!!!

Jack
Afghanistan
29/11/2008
Get out of the M-East
The "the great ideological struggle of our time" is getting rid of our war-addiction. It is quite profitable to a few, and it allows the many to hop on the patriotic band waggon. No one can define "victory." Having our proxy government hang Saddam was an insult to international law. We ought to completely withdraw from the Middle East.

Wylie
Mexico
30/11/2008
Bush defends Iraq invasion
No American president has failed to be re-elected in time of war. V-P Cheney knew that war would be profitable for his Halliburton and he lead a stupid, arrogant bully of a president to attack an innocent country. They should both be tried in the Hague for war crimes.

phoenix
United States
30/11/2008
Bush
The only place this guy can speak is before a military audience. If he were to appear before the general public, no one would show up. Most of us here in America are counting down the days regarding the end of his regime. I am ashamed of what we have done to Iraq and to its citizens. I am certainly sorry, and to all of Iraq, I apologize.

seancito
United States
30/11/2008
Bush defending the war in Iraq
Of course, Bush is defending the war as it has made him and his friends at Haliburton incredibly wealthy! Murder and mayhem are his true legacy! May he brought to trial along with his mates, Cheney and Blair, for war crimes.

Julia
United States
26/11/2008
$
Bush's motivator is money. Dick Cheny owns this war... and he's making a pretty penny. There are a lot of other people (http://www.corpwatch.org/section.php?id=176) making a lot of money on this war. The US media barely covers this - it's as if the corporations running the war run them too... And so, I am sorry that Bush was ever our president. I certainly did not vote for him. The elections, to me, were obviously stolen. And I look forward to the change Obama has promised.

John
Canada
27/11/2008
Americas Worst Terrorist
bush is a sociopath, and likely was born that way. I was a teacher in federal prisons, and I met several. Psychopaths are dangerous but kill only a few people. Sociopaths are the most dangerous aberrancy, killing many. Typically they like to surround themselves with people. They have no real emotion about people dying. bush was as happy to execute Texas prisoners as to kill Iraqis or cause the deaths of Americans and Afghanis or to bring America down. He is America's worst enemy.

Kalidasa
United States
30/11/2008
Bush, Texas Idiot
First, can we agree that no-one misses Saddam Hussein? Except those he gave his largesse to, of course, or the people who put him in power. Hey! Those are the same people who made the decision to train and support the muhjadeen (aka al-Qaeda and Taliban) and sold arms and intel to both Iraq and Iran during their wars. I am proud to be an American, but I am disgusted with how we have perverted democracy and tried to force the world in our interests. And relax, McCain LOST!

Capt Kirk
United States
01/12/2008
Bush and Iraq - the math...
A cpmment metions over 60,000 dead since the invasion. However, Saddam allowed - in fact was responsible himself for gassing - over 300,000 Iraqis to die. He had his people throw those who disagreed with him off buildings, had entire families murdered, and hoarded the oil-for-food funds while his population went hungry. Not to mention the evils inflicted in Uday and Kusay's torture chambers!Yes, there was a need for this monster to be removed - fortunately, there were those willing to do the job

Muslimun
United Arab Emirates
02/12/2008
bush defends Iraq invasion
I hope this man lives longer enough to face the international cout of law for the massacre. Or perhaps Allah will Do the Justice Himslef, which is not escapable at all.

 
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