WP: Bush Says Iraq Straining Nation's Psyche

seafan

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Mon Aug-21-06 08:10 PM
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WP: Bush Says Iraq Straining Nation's Psyche

Bush Says Iraq Straining Nation's Psyche

President Bush speaks during his first news conference in the new temporary White House pressroom, Monday, August 21, 2006, in Washington. President Bush on Monday called for quick deployment of an international force to help uphold the fragile cease-fire in Lebanon. "The need is urgent," Bush said. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

By TERENCE HUNT
The Associated Press
Monday, August 21, 2006

WASHINGTON -- President Bush said Monday the Iraq war is "straining the psyche of our country" but leaving now would be a disaster.

Bush served notice at a news conference that he would not change course or flinch from debate about the unpopular war as he campaigns for Republicans in the fall congressional elections. In fact, he suggested that national security and the economy should be the top political issues, and criticized the Democrats' approach on both.

Many Democrats want to leave Iraq "before the job is done," the president said. "I can't tell you exactly when it's going to be done," he said, but "if we ever give up the desire to help people who live in freedom, we will have lost our soul as a nation, as far as I'm concerned."

Now in its fourth year, the war has taken a heavy toll _ more than 2,600 Americans have died and many more Iraqis have been killed. Last month alone, about 3,500 Iraqis died violently, the highest monthly civilian toll so far. Bush's approval rating has slumped to the lowest point of his presidency, and Republicans are concerned that they could lose control of Congress because of voters' unhappiness.

Bush said he was frustrated by the war at times.

snip

But, but, but, Tony Snowjob said * WAS NOT FRUSTRATED! Actually spent quite a bit of time denying it. What are we paying this guy for?

Snow also took issue with New York Times and Los Angeles Times stories on Wednesday depicting President Bush as growing "frustrated" with lack of appreciation for U.S. efforts on the part of Iraqis.

snip

Snow made the following statement near the start of the press briefing:

SNOW: One other note: A number of newspapers today had -- or a couple, The New York Times and L.A. Times -- had pieces about the President's meeting the other day with Iraq scholars. Just a couple of nits to pick with the Times piece -- and I have spoken with the notetaker in the meeting, I was in the meeting, I've talked to others in the meeting and I've talked to all four scholars today, and all, to a person, take exception to a verb or variations of that verb that appear a number of times at the top of the piece, which is that the President is "frustrated"-- he's "frustrated" that the new Iraqi government and the Iraqi people have not shown greater support for the American mission.

All the participants said that that did not reflect the meeting they attended.

"A sense of frustration on the lack of progress on the bigger picture of Iraq, generally" -- again, all of those in attendance said that that did not reflect their characterization. And a paragraph that said, "The President expressed frustration that Iraqis have not come to appreciate the sacrifices the United States has made in Iraq and was puzzled as to how a recent anti-American rally in support of Hezbollah in Baghdad could draw such a large crowd." That was unanimously rejected, as well.

Now, as I've said in the past, we tend not to go into detail about what these conversations -- what the people discuss, and I will continue to do that. Obviously, they're free to discuss what they had. But there were two pieces, and one I think did more -- at least reflect in accordance with my notes -- and I tried to be careful about this and tried not to ask leading questions, but I did talk to the four scholars and four others who were involved in the meeting, and all shared the same reflections, and their notes reflected these same points of view.

*
Later, in the briefing, Snow was asked about this.

Q If the President is not frustrated by the situation in Iraq, what is he?

MR. SNOW: Determined.