Bush vowes to bolster sliding support over Iraq

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Washington, Mar 11: President George W Bush vowed on Friday to do everything possible to prevent civil war in Iraq, as he laid the groundwork for a public relations drive to shore up sagging American support for his Iraq policy.

Hampered by low job approval ratings caused in part by rising discontent over the war in Iraq, Bush planned a series of speeches starting on Monday to sell the American public on what the White House called ''our strategy for victory''.

The effort signals pressure for Bush to defend his handling of the Iraq situation, a key plank of the Presidency, ahead of midterm elections in November in which the Democrats are challenging his Republican party for control of Congress.

But it won't be easy to reverse the slide in public opinion.

American anti-war sentiment has increased as US casualties have mounted -- there have been more than 2,300 US military deaths in Iraq since the US-led invasion in March 2003 -- and sectarian violence has raised the specter of civil war, denting hopes for the stability needed to start bringing US troops home.

Asked what he planned to do if civil war broke out, Bush told a national newspaper group yesterday: ''Step one is to make sure (to) do everything we can that there not be one.'' In a preview of coming speeches, Bush said a key part of his strategy was based on the training of Iraqis to take over security from US forces, a process he said was going well.

''I know people in your parts of the world wonder how long the troops are going to be there. They're going to be there as long as the commanders on the ground say they're necessary to achieve victory,'' he said.

''But they're coming home as the Iraqis are more likely to be able to take the fight to the enemy,'' Bush added.

There are currently 132,000 US troops in Iraq.

Doubts about Iraq forces

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Thursday the US.

military would rely primarily on Iraq's security forces to put down a civil war if one erupted.

However, some analysts have questioned how capable Iraqi security forces would be without the aid of US forces, the degree to which they are loyal to the central Government and how deeply they have been infiltrated by insurgents.

Iraqi security forces have been tested in recent weeks by a wave of sectarian strife in which hundreds have been killed following the February 22 bombing of a major Shi'ite mosque. The violence has stalled efforts to forge a unity Government.

Signaling growing unease, nearly four out of five Americans, including 70 per cent of Republicans, believe civil war will break out in Iraq, according to an Associated Press/IPSOS poll released yesterday.

Bush's new public relations push comes at a time when his approval ratings are languishing below 40 per cent, the lowest point of his presidency.

His popularity has suffered not only because of the Iraq war but because of his handling of the US economy as well as his support for a state-owned Arab company's attempt -- now abandoned -- to take over operations at a string of major US ports.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush would aim to talk about progress on the ground in Iraq and lessons learned there.

The speeches coincide with the approaching three-year anniversary of the invasion, launched originally for the stated purpose of ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. Such weapons were never found.

Reuters

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