WASHINGTON, March 19 (UPI) -- The White House focused on the Iraq war Monday and slammed what it called "defeatist" Democratic legislation to withdraw troops.
On Monday morning, President George W. Bush spoke with his national security team, including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Commander in Iraq Gen. David Patreaus and Amb. Zalmay Khalizad. He followed that up with a video conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Bush, in a statement afterwards, urged the American people to show patience while his new "surge" strategy was being applied.
"The new strategy will need more time to take effect. And here will be good days and there will be bad days ahead as it - as the security plan unfolds," the president said. "It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best option is to pack up and go home. That may be satisfying in the short run, but I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating."
The Bush administration has dug its heels in and threatened to veto any congressional legislation that attaches district-oriented provisions on to an emergency war funding supplemental bill for Iraq, or sets a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. Such legislation is expected to be debated in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives later this week.
Presidential spokesman Tony Snow, echoing senior U.S. administration officials, said setting a timeline was defeatist.
"That is not a fund-the-troops bill but a withdraw-the-troops bill," he said.
The approach by the Democratic bill, he said was a "conducive to defeat. It is a recipe for failure, not victory."
