President Bush Says the U.S.Will Continue War on Terrorism

President George W. Bush said in a speech addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention that the United States would continue its war on terrorism and that Iraq is one of the basic fronts of the war. He alleged that the United States toppled a regime in Iraq which was persecuting its people and supporting extremist groups that were aiming to transform Iraq into a safe haven for terrorism. Bush said--without referring to the terrorism his country and the installed-Iraqi-government have practiced against the Iraqi people--that hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were killed, a number which has been confirmed by international organizations.

Bush added that he ordered a surge of military forces in Iraq to support the Iraqi government which he said was elected democratically, but he failed to mention those who have asserted that the elections were fixed and were manipulated. He also said in a strange paradox that, "Since the surge began, violence in Iraq has dropped; civilian deaths and sectarian killings are down."

Bush claimed that Iraq is going through political and economical progress, "slowly but steadily." Bush boasted that, "Iraq transformed into a democracy," without mentioning it was a democracy that displaced more than five million Iraqis inside and outside Iraq. He also pointed out that Iraq has become an ally of the United States in its war on terrorism.

As for the return of the American forces from Iraq, Bush explained: "Our troops have begun to come home under our policy of return on success. We all look forward to the day when even more of our troops come home." Bush emphasized that returning the American soldiers from Iraq cannot happen without achieving full victory, without acknowledging that this alleged victory can never be achieved.