Bush Speech Tonight

[Guest Retro Rob]

WASHINGTON  — Seeking to allay fears that Iraq is spiraling out of control, President Bush will tell Americans and the world Monday night that he has a blueprint to create a democratic nation.

 

Five months before the presidential election and just five weeks before the June 30 hand-off of political power in Iraq, Bush travels late Monday to the Army War College (search) in Carlisle, Pa., to give the first in a series of speeches about the future of Iraq.

 

The speech begins at 8 p.m. EDT and can be seen on the Fox News Channel.

 

Worldwide attention is focused on the transfer of sovereignty next month, but the president is expected to lay out a timeline in Iraq (search) that extends until elections are held early next year.

 

With an eye on the future, Bush's prime-time speech will address two issues dominating U.S. efforts in Iraq: The creation of a new Iraqi interim government, the leaders of which are to be announced within days, and ways to improve security in areas of Iraq still rife with violence.

 

Bush reviewed drafts of his speech over the weekend while traveling in Texas and Connecticut to attend parties celebrating his daughters' college graduations.

 

Bush's message will focus on the "absolute necessity of us to be victorious in Iraq," Suzy DeFrancis, White House deputy assistant for communications, told Fox News.

 

"If the terrorists succeed in Iraq, it will be a major blow in the War on Terror," said DeFrancis, who added that Bush would speak about how Iraq would move forward in a level of detail that the American people have not yet heard.

 

The president will talk about the transfer of sovereignty, with five steps for transfer: transfer to self-government, improved security, reconstruction help, preparation for elections and enlarging the international presence.

 

"He needs to demonstrate an appreciation for the hole we're in," said Ivo Daalder, a foreign policy analyst at the liberal-leaning Brookings Institution. "He shouldn't minimize the problems that we are confronting. He can't give the same speech that everything is going fine and 'I'm committed to seeing it through.'"

 

In his speech, Bush will talk about the new unelected, interim Iraqi government that will guide the country until elections can be held by Jan. 31, 2005. He has lauded the work of U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi (search), who is hand-picking an Iraqi prime minister, president and two vice presidents who will work with a cabinet of ministers in running day-to-day operations until elections can be held.

 

Bush will also discuss work on a new U.N. Security Council (search) resolution, expected to be offered hours before the speech, which among other things is likely to recognize the new interim government in Baghdad and an end to the occupation and address ongoing security challenges.

 

"We expect we'll be moving forward as early as this morning on a new U.N. resolution that would support the interim sovereign government and encourage even broader international participation moving forward," White House Spokesman Scott McClellan said on Monday.

 

An earlier U.N. resolution gave legal authority for a multinational force to stay in Iraq after June 30.

 

It's a pivotal time in Iraq and in the president's re-election campaign. Bush's approval ratings have sunk, according to some polls, to the lowest point of his presidency. Skepticism, mixed with fear of moving down an untraveled path in Iraq, is rising among Iraqis and Americans.

 

The setbacks in Iraq keep stacking up:

 

—U.S. troops continue to have deadly clashes with insurgents. Nearly 800 American servicemen and women have died since the beginning of military operations last year.

 

—The president of the U.S.-backed Iraqi Governing Council was assassinated last week.

 

—A homicide car bomber killed four people Saturday and wounded a deputy interior minister in charge of security in Baghdad.

 

—U.S. lawmakers on Sunday vowed to investigate allegations that Ahmad Chalabi (search), a Shiite member of the governing council who was once a darling of Pentagon officials, gave Iran sensitive information about U.S. activities in Iraq.

 

—Abuse of inmates at a U.S.-run prison in Iraq continues to provoke outrage in the Arab world.

 

"There's a lot that's come out in the last few days that's very disturbing," David Gergen, former adviser to President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton, told Fox News.

 

"He has got to do more than just repackage the rhetoric of the last few weeks. He has got to do more than just say stay the course. He has got to come up with some bold initiatives of his own," Gergen said. "The facts on the ground are driving people away. The facts are not very good for him."

 

The president is expected to discuss the prison abuse, but will not mention the problems surrounding Chalabi or discuss a date in which all American troops will be out of Iraq.

 

Some of Bush's fellow Republicans are calling on him to seek more outside advice to solve the problems in Iraq.

 

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who has urged Bush to get the United Nations more deeply involved in Iraq, criticized the president on Sunday, saying he was running Iraq policy in a vacuum.

 

"At a time that's as complicated and dangerous as any time in modern history today, a president of the United States needs to hear other opinions," Hagel said in a televised interview.

 

"He must reach out. He must understand a bigger view, wider-lens view of the world. To essentially hold himself hostage to two or three key advisers and never reach beyond that is very dangerous for a president."

 

The funniest part about this whole thing is that the speech will not be seen anywhere on network TV, as all four of the major networks would rather air their usual lineups. FOX mentioned how they didn't want to deal with the same problems as last month when a bunch of outraged American Idol fans complained to them.

[Guest Cerebus]

I had heard about this here as well. Jesus, liberal pundits hit Bush for making so few prime-time speeches and when he does, they get preempted for the Swan, Yes Dear, and Fear Factor? What shit is this? I am one of the cynical guys when it comes to network news coverage but man...

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Cereb, Cereb, Cereb, even though you work for a political party, you still have much to learn.

 

G.W. HITLER scheduled this conference because he KNEW the networks wouldn't cover it because it would interrupt prime-time TV.

 

St00pid...

[Guest Retro Rob]

Well it IS May Sweeps...

[Guest MikeSC]

Cereb, Cereb, Cereb, even though you work for a political party, you still have much to learn.

 

G.W. HITLER scheduled this conference because he KNEW the networks wouldn't cover it because it would interrupt prime-time TV.

 

St00pid...

Maybe he should have one of his daughters take off their top during it.

-=Mike

[NoCalMike 0]

The way Bush tries to make logic, it is a favor to him that a lot of the major networks didn't air the speech. For me, I was in school so I just read the summary.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

It aired on network(s) for me. Guess it sucks to be wherever. This was local cut-in stuff though since it wasn't prime time over here when the speech happened.

[Vanhalen 0]

Saw it over here on Sky News, very fluffy, didnt really say a lot about anything really, just seemed to ramble on, I think its got past the stage where a few words from the President is going to make everything better in Iraq.

[Vanhalen 0]

Found a story on it on a website

 

President Bush has said the US remains committed to defeating its enemies and creating a democratic Iraq.

In a keynote speech aimed at reassuring the US public, he said he was taking five "specific steps" to help Iraq achieve democracy and freedom.

 

Mr Bush also said the US would demolish Abu Ghraib prison after the handover of power, if Iraq's new government agreed.

 

The speech came after the US and UK tabled a draft resolution at the UN on plans for the handover on 30 June.

 

The president stressed that the United Nations would have an important role to play in the process of making Iraq a democracy.

 

The BBC's Rob Watson, in Washington, says Mr Bush spoke with rare passion in an attempt to seize back the initiative on Iraq - a massive challenge.

 

The latest US opinion poll meanwhile suggests Mr Bush is now more unpopular than he has been at any time during his period in office.

 

A CBS poll suggested that 61% of Americans disapprove of the way he is handling the situation in Iraq.

 

Speaking at an army college in Pennsylvania, Mr Bush said Iraq was now the "central front in the war on terror".

 

"There are difficult days ahead and the way forward may sometimes appear chaotic," he said.

 

"Yet our coalition is strong. Our efforts are focused and unrelenting, and no power of the enemy will stop Iraq's progress."

 

The president also gave details of the interim Iraqi government, which will consist of a president, two vice-presidents, a prime minister and 26 ministers.

 

However, Mr Bush said the United States would keep its troops in Iraq at the current level as long as necessary, because of the continuing unrest.

 

In a clear attempt to win hearts and minds of Iraqis, our correspondent says, Mr Bush said he had sent American troops to liberate Iraq, not to make them Americans.

 

Mr Bush, who is seeking re-election in November, has been damaged by the scandal over US abuses at Abu Ghraib, and ongoing violence in Iraq.

 

The prison had become "a symbol of disgraceful conduct by a few American troops who dishonoured our country and disregarded our values," he said.

 

The president announced five steps in his plan to achieve freedom and democracy in Iraq:

 

Hand over authority to a sovereign Iraqi government;

 

Help establish the stability and security in Iraq that democracy requires;

 

Continue rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure;

 

Encourage more international support;

 

Move toward free, national elections that will bring forward new leaders empowered by the Iraqi people.

 

Many of the details in Mr Bush's plan for Iraq were earlier presented to the United Nations Security Council in the form of a new draft resolution on the country's future.

 

American and British officials are hoping the resolution will be passed in early June, but correspondents say the first discussions on Monday already brought up possible sticking points.

 

Several ambassadors are said to have wanted a better definition of the sovereignty that's being handed over to the Iraqis, as the draft is not clear on whether the interim government will have any control over security.

 

Correspondents say another issue that may prove problematic is the lack of a deadline for the US-led forces to leave the country.

 

Talks on the draft are due to resume on Wednesday.