BOISE, Idaho — Stepping up their response Tuesday to an antiwar movement that has gained momentum in recent weeks, President Bush and his aides said heeding protesters' wishes to withdraw troops from Iraq would "weaken" the United States' broader efforts to combat terrorism.
Bush made his remarks in a surprise appearance during a vacation day at an Idaho mountain resort. He said the views espoused by Cindy Sheehan -- mother of a slain soldier and the founder of an antiwar encampment close to the president's ranch near Crawford, Texas -- did not represent the opinions of most of the military families he had met. The criticism marked a new line of argument from Bush, and coincided with an announcement that he would spend time today with National Guard families during a stop near Boise.
"There's a lot of people protesting, and there's a lot of points of view about the Iraq war," said Bush, clad in jeans and a fleece jacket as he spoke with a small group of reporters at the resort, about 80 miles north of the state capital. "As you know, in Crawford last weekend there were people from both sides of the issue, or from all sides of the issue, there to express their opinions."
At Ft. Lewis, Wash., in June 2004, Bush met briefly with Sheehan and other members of her family -- as he does regularly with families of fallen soldiers, including the meetings planned for today -- but she has demanded to see him face to face.
"I understand her anguish," Bush said. "I met with a lot of families. She doesn't represent the view of a lot of the families I have met with. And I'll continue to meet with families."
Bush's comments come amid signs that the protest movement, backed by well-financed liberal organizations, is continuing to build its network and sharpen its message.
More than 1,000 opponents of the Iraq war rallied Monday in Salt Lake City, blocks from a convention center where Bush defended his policies to 15,000 members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. A much smaller rally was held Tuesday in Boise, where organizers set up about 1,800 small wooden crosses to represent dead U.S. troops and read each name aloud.
Among those at the Boise rally was Melanie House, 27, of Simi Valley. Her husband, John, a Navy corpsman, died along with 30 Marines in a January helicopter crash near Iraq's border with Jordan. House said she had signed up through the liberal group MoveOn.org to host a vigil supporting Sheehan last week, and that group leaders recruited her to take a more prominent role in opposing the war.
