More troops could be sent to Iraq soon, as civilians from
Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 6:46 am
other countries are pulled out...
President George W. Bush on Tuesday evening pledged to stick to the June 30 timetable for restoring Iraqi sovereignty, insisting that "America's word once given can be relied upon, even in the toughest times".
The president's sombre-toned news conference at the White House was his first in more than a year since he made the case for war against Saddam Hussein.
"The consequence of failure in Iraq would be unthinkable."
In an effort to reassure an American public alarmed by the rising deathtoll and the grisly images being relayed back from Iraq, Mr Bush promised that if more US forces were needed he would send them. "If additional resources are needed I will provide them," he said.
Mr Bush's comments failed to convince several foreign governments whose nationals are working on peacekeeping and reconstruction projects in Iraq.
Russia said on Wednesday it would evacuate 553 of its own citizens and 263 from countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States working on Russian contracts in the country. The airlift is set to begin on Thursday.
Romano Prodi, European Commission president and a former Italian prime minister, said the situation in Iraq was "as bad as can be" and called for the release of four Italian hostages, while the Philippines said it was considering withdrawing a small force of peacekeepers and humanitarian workers.
Mr Bush acknowledged that the US has suffered a series of "tough weeks in Iraq" but said American forces will "finish the work of the fallen" and usher in a new era of freedom and democracy.
Mr Bush said America was "changing the world and the world [would] be a better place because of that."
"Saddam Hussein was a threat because he used WMD against his own people...He was a threat to the United States...He was a danger."
When questioned about his initial claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, the president said: "They can still be there....we'll find out the truth about them at some point in time...Of course I'm concerned we have not found weapons yet. But I do know Saddam is out of power...He was a threat to the United States...He was a danger."
The president directly challenged Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shia cleric who has launched a direct and bloody challenge to the US-led coalition in recent weeks, saying: "Al Sadr must answer the charges against him and disband his illegal militia." On Wednesday US troops together with tanks and artillery massed on the outskirts of Najaf, the holy city where Mr Sadr is thought to be holed-up.
"We're changing the world and the world will be a better place because of that."
Mr Bush sought to paint the al Sadr insurgency as a band of terrorists in the mould of the March 11 killers in Madrid, the bombers of the Bali nightclub and the people who perpetrated the attacks of September 11 2001.
Insurgents have taken some 40 foreign hostages from 12 countries during Iraq's recent violence, prompting several governments, including France and Germany, to advise their citizens to leave the war-torn region.
The kidnappings have marked a change in tactics by the guerrilla forces, which have largely targeted nationals of coalition members with smaller troop deployments and demanded their withdrawal.
Nine Americans, seven of them civilians, are believed to be among those missing. US officials in Washington said on Tuesday night that four bodies had been found outside Baghdad. The families of the civilians, all employees of Kellogg, Brown and Root, a Halliburton subsidiary, had been contacted. However, the identities of the dead had not been confirmed.
Italy reported that four of its citizens had gone missing on Tuesday, and France confirmed that a television journalist had been taken hostage.
Most countries with troops in Iraq have held firm against pressure to pull out. But if withdrawals spread, it could hamper coalition efforts to rebuild Iraq economically and politically.
Kofi Annan, United Nations secretary-general, said the deteriorating security situation was likely to prevent him from sending a "large UN team" to the country to help with the planned June 30 handover of power to Iraqis. Although a small UN team is in Iraq, Mr Annan said: "The kind of violence we are seeing on the ground is not conducive for that sort of political process and transition."
But Mr Bush on Tuesday evening made clear that he was determined to stick to the plan to transfer authority to the Iraqi people on June 30, despite the security concerns and the problems the coalition is facing in putting together a representative government which has legitimacy with the Iraqi people. "Iraq will hold elections no later than January of next year," he said.
"America's objective in Iraq is limited and it is firm. We seek an independent free and secure Iraq. If we stepped back, many Iraqis would feel their hopes betrayed."
President George W. Bush on Tuesday evening pledged to stick to the June 30 timetable for restoring Iraqi sovereignty, insisting that "America's word once given can be relied upon, even in the toughest times".
The president's sombre-toned news conference at the White House was his first in more than a year since he made the case for war against Saddam Hussein.
"The consequence of failure in Iraq would be unthinkable."
In an effort to reassure an American public alarmed by the rising deathtoll and the grisly images being relayed back from Iraq, Mr Bush promised that if more US forces were needed he would send them. "If additional resources are needed I will provide them," he said.
Mr Bush's comments failed to convince several foreign governments whose nationals are working on peacekeeping and reconstruction projects in Iraq.
Russia said on Wednesday it would evacuate 553 of its own citizens and 263 from countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States working on Russian contracts in the country. The airlift is set to begin on Thursday.
Romano Prodi, European Commission president and a former Italian prime minister, said the situation in Iraq was "as bad as can be" and called for the release of four Italian hostages, while the Philippines said it was considering withdrawing a small force of peacekeepers and humanitarian workers.
Mr Bush acknowledged that the US has suffered a series of "tough weeks in Iraq" but said American forces will "finish the work of the fallen" and usher in a new era of freedom and democracy.
Mr Bush said America was "changing the world and the world [would] be a better place because of that."
"Saddam Hussein was a threat because he used WMD against his own people...He was a threat to the United States...He was a danger."
When questioned about his initial claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, the president said: "They can still be there....we'll find out the truth about them at some point in time...Of course I'm concerned we have not found weapons yet. But I do know Saddam is out of power...He was a threat to the United States...He was a danger."
The president directly challenged Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shia cleric who has launched a direct and bloody challenge to the US-led coalition in recent weeks, saying: "Al Sadr must answer the charges against him and disband his illegal militia." On Wednesday US troops together with tanks and artillery massed on the outskirts of Najaf, the holy city where Mr Sadr is thought to be holed-up.
"We're changing the world and the world will be a better place because of that."
Mr Bush sought to paint the al Sadr insurgency as a band of terrorists in the mould of the March 11 killers in Madrid, the bombers of the Bali nightclub and the people who perpetrated the attacks of September 11 2001.
Insurgents have taken some 40 foreign hostages from 12 countries during Iraq's recent violence, prompting several governments, including France and Germany, to advise their citizens to leave the war-torn region.
The kidnappings have marked a change in tactics by the guerrilla forces, which have largely targeted nationals of coalition members with smaller troop deployments and demanded their withdrawal.
Nine Americans, seven of them civilians, are believed to be among those missing. US officials in Washington said on Tuesday night that four bodies had been found outside Baghdad. The families of the civilians, all employees of Kellogg, Brown and Root, a Halliburton subsidiary, had been contacted. However, the identities of the dead had not been confirmed.
Italy reported that four of its citizens had gone missing on Tuesday, and France confirmed that a television journalist had been taken hostage.
Most countries with troops in Iraq have held firm against pressure to pull out. But if withdrawals spread, it could hamper coalition efforts to rebuild Iraq economically and politically.
Kofi Annan, United Nations secretary-general, said the deteriorating security situation was likely to prevent him from sending a "large UN team" to the country to help with the planned June 30 handover of power to Iraqis. Although a small UN team is in Iraq, Mr Annan said: "The kind of violence we are seeing on the ground is not conducive for that sort of political process and transition."
But Mr Bush on Tuesday evening made clear that he was determined to stick to the plan to transfer authority to the Iraqi people on June 30, despite the security concerns and the problems the coalition is facing in putting together a representative government which has legitimacy with the Iraqi people. "Iraq will hold elections no later than January of next year," he said.
"America's objective in Iraq is limited and it is firm. We seek an independent free and secure Iraq. If we stepped back, many Iraqis would feel their hopes betrayed."
(Linda... don't tell anyone we agreed, okay? 
)
