INDEPTH: IRAQ
U.S. exit strategy
No firm date
CBC News Online | December 2, 2005
It's called the "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq." U.S. President George W. Bush unveiled the 35-page document as he delivered a speech at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland on Nov. 30, 2005. The strategy came more than two-and-a-half years after Bush stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier and declared an end to hostilities in Iraq.
 George Bush speaks about his war policy at the U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. (AP photo)
Bush continued to refuse to provide an estimate of when the pullout of troops would begin. Americans would stay, he said, until the job was done.
In his speech, he told his audience – his fourth military audience in the previous three weeks:
"Some critics continue to assert that we have no plan in Iraq except to, quote, stay the course.
If by stay the course, they mean we will not allow the terrorists to break our will, they're right.
If by stay the course, they mean, we will not permit al-Qaeda to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban, a safe haven for terrorism and a launching pad for attacks on America, they're right, as well.
If by stay the course, they mean that we're not learning from our experiences or adjusting our tactics to meet the challenges on the ground, then they're flat wrong."
Bush's strategy for victory in Iraq consists of eight pillars. They include:
- "Defeat the terrorists and neutralize the insurgency."
- "Transition Iraq to security self-reliance."
- "Help Iraqis forge a national compact for democratic government."
- "Help Iraq build government capacity and provide essential services."
- "Help Iraq strengthen its economy."
- "Help Iraq strengthen the rule of law and promote civil rights."
- "Increase international support for Iraq."
- "Strengthen public understanding of coalition efforts and public isolation of the insurgents."
The CBC's Henry Champ said Bush's speech was an attempt to show the American people that his administration is not committing the U.S. military to an open-ended, never-ending presence in Iraq.
"The polls are down," Champ said. "His 37 per cent approval rating is the lowest since he's been in office. Secondly, Democrats on [Capitol] Hill have been saying there is no national strategy for Iraq and that the administration just bumbles along from one pillar to one post."
Missing from Bush's strategy is some kind of timetable to start the process of withdrawal. Setting a date, he said, would play into the hands of the enemy.
The Iraq war, he told his audience, won't end like the Second World War – with a signing ceremony aboard a battleship.
"Victory will come when the terrorists and Saddamists can no longer threaten Iraq's democracy, when the Iraqi security forces can provide for the safety of their own citizens, and when Iraq is not a safe haven for terrorists to plot new attacks on our nation.
As we make progress toward victory, Iraqis will take more responsibility for their security and fewer U.S. forces will be needed to complete the mission."
John Kerry, the Democratic senator who lost to Bush in the 2004 election, said he was hoping for a little more detail.
"I'm not asking even for the specific timetable of withdrawal," he said. "I'm asking for a specific timetable of transfer of authority."
Rhode Island Democrat Jack Reed said Bush has failed to answer the questions that all Americans are asking.
"How do we know what progress is being made there? How do we measure success? How much longer should America expect to be in Iraq?"
But the Democrats are also divided on Iraq. The House minority leader – Nancy Pelosi – endorsed a call by Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha to pull U.S. troops out as soon as possible and replace them with a rapid reaction force in the region.
Other leading Democrats have said pulling troops out too quickly could lead to disaster. Instead, they've called for 2006 to be a year of "significant progress in Iraq."
Still, the polls continue to show Americans' increasing disillusionment with the war.
Just two days after the "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq" was released, 10 Marines on foot patrol were killed and 11 others were wounded when a roadside bomb went off near Fallujah. It was one of the deadliest attacks on U.S. troops in months.
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