WASHINGTON — President Bush said Thursday night that improved security in Iraq would allow him to start bringing troops home, endorsing a proposed pullout that congressional critics in both parties have dismissed as too slow and too limited.
Adopting the proposal laid out by Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Bush plans to begin withdrawing the additional combat troops he sent over the last eight months. Pentagon officials said at least 21,500 troops would come home, which could leave more American military personnel in the war zone than when the president began his buildup.
Bush said the "surge" had prepared Iraq to end sectarian violence by helping Iraqis feel safe and encouraging them to turn against militants. "Our success in meeting these objectives now allows us to begin bringing some of our troops home," he said.
Speaking to the nation from the Oval Office, the president emphasized that the U.S. role in Iraq would last "beyond my presidency."
"The success of a free Iraq is critical to the security of the United States," Bush said in the 17-minute address. "Realizing this vision will be difficult -- but it is achievable. Our military commanders believe we can succeed. Our diplomats believe we can succeed. And for the safety of future generations of Americans, we must succeed."
Bush's address came during a week of intense Washington focus on Iraq. It began with Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, reporting to Congress, and it will conclude today with the administration's latest report on the results of the troop buildup and on the political conditions in Iraq.
The report, ordered by Congress, is expected to present a pessimistic assessment of the Iraqi government's ability to make rapid progress toward broad reconciliation.
Next week, the Senate will debate a defense authorization bill -- and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said Democrats will consider as many as half a dozen proposals designed to challenge Bush's management of the war. Bush's Iraq policies also face increasing opposition from moderate Senate Republicans.
With his speech, presented at what the administration sees as a key moment in the war, the president hopes to fend off these renewed efforts to limit his ability to deploy troops in Iraq.
