WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush, acknowledging the U.S. political aspect of the Iraq war, warned that "irresponsible debate" can hurt morale of troops.
Bush spoke Tuesday to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and delivered mostly a set piece on the war and the administration's efforts to wage it. Near the end of the 45-minute talk, however, politics came into play.
He said with the November election ahead, the war will play a role in the campaign and while "we should not fear the debate" ... "it's even more important to conduct this debate responsibly when American troops are risking their lives overseas."
Bush said U.S. voters know "the difference between honest critics who question the way the war is being prosecuted and partisan critics who claims that we acted in Iraq because of oil, or because of Israel or because we misled the American people."
"When our soldiers hear politicians in Washington question the mission they are risking their lives to accomplish, it hurts their morale," Bush said. "In a time of war, we have a responsibility to show that whatever our political differences at home, our nation is united and determine to prevail."
