United States President George Bush promised on Wednesday to present a new Iraq policy in the days ahead amid warnings that even members of his own Republican party oppose escalating the unpopular war.
The president has previously said he is considering ”all options,” including a temporary increase of US troops in Iraq.
Winning the war in Iraq and making tax cuts passed by the Republican-controlled Congress in 2001 permanent — two issues in which the president has butted heads with Democrats — were the top priorities, Bush wrote in a column in Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal newspaper.
Bush’s Republican Party lost control of Congress on November 7, a defeat attributed to the unpopular war in Iraq war.
Writing on the eve of the Democratic takeover both the Senate and the House of Representatives, Bush warned, however, of partisanship that he said could lead to a ”stalemate.”
”In the days ahead, I will be addressing our nation about a new strategy to help the Iraqi people gain control of the security situation and hasten the day when the Iraqi government gains full control over its affairs,” he wrote.
”Ultimately, Iraqis must resolve the most pressing issues facing them. We can’t do it for them. But we can help Iraq defeat the extremists inside and outside of Iraq — and we can help provide the necessary breathing space for this young government to meet its responsibilities.”
If democracy fails ”and the extremists prevail in Iraq, then America’s enemies will be stronger, more lethal, and emboldened by our defeat.
”Leaders in both parties understand the stakes in this struggle. We now have the opportunity to build a bipartisan consensus to fight and win the war,” he wrote.
However, to reach common goals ”we can’t play politics as usual”, Bush wrote.
”If the Congress chooses to pass Bills that are simply political statements, they will have chosen stalemate,” Bush wrote. ”If a different approach is taken, the next two years can be fruitful ones for our nation.”
Bush will meet congressional leaders of both major US parties Wednesday for informal talks on a range of issues including Iraq, an administration official said on Tuesday.
”I’d expect a range of topics about the year ahead to be discussed among the group, including Iraq,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Bush has been holding consultations ahead of a speech, expected as early as next week, in which he is expected to unveil a new strategy for Iraq, possibly including an increase of troop numbers there.
Most opposition Democrats, some prominent Republicans and the top US military commander in Baghdad, General George Casey, have warned against a prolonged expansion in the US military presence.
Republican Senator Chuck Hagel is strongly opposed to more troops, describing it to a newspaper columnist as a policy of ”Alice in Wonderland.”
And one of the most respected Republican foreign policy experts, Senator Richard Lugar, has urged the White House to first consult with lawmakers. — AFP
