thedrifter
04-19-07, 04:33 PM
Bush Says Exit From Iraq May Spark Mideast Arms Race
Brendan Murray
April 19 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush warned of a possible nuclear arms race in the Middle East if the U.S. pulls out of Iraq too quickly and lets Iran, which has an atomic development program, extend its influence.
Bush, raising the stakes in the debate over U.S. strategy in Iraq, said in an address in Tipp City, Ohio, that al-Qaeda and ``surrogates for Iran'' are trying to establish a foothold in Iraq and would gain a safe haven if the country falls into chaos after a U.S. withdrawal.
Bush is battling against falling public support for the war and attempts by Democrats in Congress to set a timetable for the U.S. presence in Iraq. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), a Nevada Democrat, said today that ``this war is lost,'' and the increase in troops Bush ordered in January is ``not accomplishing anything.''
The president, in his speech at Tippecanoe High School in the west-central Ohio town, said the power vacuum left if the U.S. pulled out of Iraq ``could cause the Middle East to enter into a nuclear arms race.''
``The scenario I'm beginning to describe to you I believe is a real scenario,'' he said.
While he previously has tied interference by Iran with instability in Iraq, today's speech marked the first time he linked the conflict and Iran's nuclear program.
``I'm very worried about a nuclear arms race in the Middle East,'' Bush said. He said the government of Iran must end its program to enrich uranium and stop ``meddling in Iraq.''
Power Production
Iran's government has said its nuclear program is intended for power production rather than building arms. As Iran has pursued uranium enrichment, which can be used for civilian plants and weapons, other states in the region have expressed interest.
The six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, which includes Saudi Arabia, announced in December that they will set up a commission to study the applications of nuclear technology. Egypt also is exploring nuclear power development.
In his remarks, Bush said he was ``convinced'' that the U.S. would be able to start pulling troops out of Iraq in 2006 until an eruption of sectarian violence threatened the stability of the Iraqi government.
``The enemy succeeded in causing there to be sectarian strife,'' Bush said. He said he made the decision to reinforce the U.S. troops in Iraq to prevent the extremists from gaining an upper hand.
145,000 Troops
The U.S. has about 145,000 troops in Iraq now, including some of the 30,000 soldiers and Marines he ordered deployed as reinforcements in January.
Bush met yesterday at the White House with congressional leaders, seeking to negotiate an end to the impasse over $100 billion in Iraq war funding that he requested in January. Democrats, who control the House and Senate, have passed funding measures that include timetables for a U.S. withdrawal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) said after the talks that she and the other Democratic leaders tried to impress on Bush that the public wants a change in strategy in Iraq. ``We cannot give the president a blank check, but we are willing to work with him,'' the California Democrat said.
The president, in response to a question from a member of the crowd, said a lesson of the U.S. experience in Vietnam is that the country can't afford to quit the battle.
Vietnam
``I want to remind you that after Vietnam, after we left, millions of people lost their life'' in the region, he said. ``The difference of course is that this time around, the enemy wouldn't be content to stay in the Middle East. They'd follow us here.''
Today's event was the first of two where Bush is making his case for the war to the public. He is scheduled to speak tomorrow at a high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In response to another question, Bush acknowledged that the U.S. is getting war-weary.
``I know a lot of people are tired of it,'' Bush said of the conflict in Iraq. He said Americans should be mindful of the consequences of failure and that presidents must think about a world ``20, 30 or 40 years from now.''
To contact the reporter on this story: Brendan Murray in Tipp City, Ohio, at brmurray@bloomberg.net
Ellie
Brendan Murray
April 19 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush warned of a possible nuclear arms race in the Middle East if the U.S. pulls out of Iraq too quickly and lets Iran, which has an atomic development program, extend its influence.
Bush, raising the stakes in the debate over U.S. strategy in Iraq, said in an address in Tipp City, Ohio, that al-Qaeda and ``surrogates for Iran'' are trying to establish a foothold in Iraq and would gain a safe haven if the country falls into chaos after a U.S. withdrawal.
Bush is battling against falling public support for the war and attempts by Democrats in Congress to set a timetable for the U.S. presence in Iraq. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), a Nevada Democrat, said today that ``this war is lost,'' and the increase in troops Bush ordered in January is ``not accomplishing anything.''
The president, in his speech at Tippecanoe High School in the west-central Ohio town, said the power vacuum left if the U.S. pulled out of Iraq ``could cause the Middle East to enter into a nuclear arms race.''
``The scenario I'm beginning to describe to you I believe is a real scenario,'' he said.
While he previously has tied interference by Iran with instability in Iraq, today's speech marked the first time he linked the conflict and Iran's nuclear program.
``I'm very worried about a nuclear arms race in the Middle East,'' Bush said. He said the government of Iran must end its program to enrich uranium and stop ``meddling in Iraq.''
Power Production
Iran's government has said its nuclear program is intended for power production rather than building arms. As Iran has pursued uranium enrichment, which can be used for civilian plants and weapons, other states in the region have expressed interest.
The six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, which includes Saudi Arabia, announced in December that they will set up a commission to study the applications of nuclear technology. Egypt also is exploring nuclear power development.
In his remarks, Bush said he was ``convinced'' that the U.S. would be able to start pulling troops out of Iraq in 2006 until an eruption of sectarian violence threatened the stability of the Iraqi government.
``The enemy succeeded in causing there to be sectarian strife,'' Bush said. He said he made the decision to reinforce the U.S. troops in Iraq to prevent the extremists from gaining an upper hand.
145,000 Troops
The U.S. has about 145,000 troops in Iraq now, including some of the 30,000 soldiers and Marines he ordered deployed as reinforcements in January.
Bush met yesterday at the White House with congressional leaders, seeking to negotiate an end to the impasse over $100 billion in Iraq war funding that he requested in January. Democrats, who control the House and Senate, have passed funding measures that include timetables for a U.S. withdrawal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) said after the talks that she and the other Democratic leaders tried to impress on Bush that the public wants a change in strategy in Iraq. ``We cannot give the president a blank check, but we are willing to work with him,'' the California Democrat said.
The president, in response to a question from a member of the crowd, said a lesson of the U.S. experience in Vietnam is that the country can't afford to quit the battle.
Vietnam
``I want to remind you that after Vietnam, after we left, millions of people lost their life'' in the region, he said. ``The difference of course is that this time around, the enemy wouldn't be content to stay in the Middle East. They'd follow us here.''
Today's event was the first of two where Bush is making his case for the war to the public. He is scheduled to speak tomorrow at a high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In response to another question, Bush acknowledged that the U.S. is getting war-weary.
``I know a lot of people are tired of it,'' Bush said of the conflict in Iraq. He said Americans should be mindful of the consequences of failure and that presidents must think about a world ``20, 30 or 40 years from now.''
To contact the reporter on this story: Brendan Murray in Tipp City, Ohio, at brmurray@bloomberg.net
Ellie