| International Herald Tribune wrote: |
| Speaking in subdued, almost chastened, tones at a joint news conference at the White House late Thursday, the two leaders steadfastly refused to talk about a schedule for pulling troops out of Iraq - a pressure both men are feeling intently. They stuck to a common formulation that they would withdraw troops only as properly trained Iraqi soldiers took control over more and more territory.
But in an unusual admission of personal mistakes, Bush said he regretted challenging insurgents in Iraq to "bring it on" in 2003 and his statement that he wanted Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." Those two statements quickly came to reinforce his image around the world as a cowboy commander-in-chief. "Kind of tough talk, you know, that sent the wrong signal to people," Bush said. "I learned some lessons about expressing myself maybe in a little more sophisticated manner." He went on to say that the U.S. military's biggest mistake was the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, where photographs showed them being degraded and abused. "We've been paying for that for a long period of time," Bush said. Blair, whose approval levels have sunk even lower than Bush's, said he particularly regretted the decision in 2003 to strip most members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party of their positions in government and civic life, leaving most institutions shorn of expertise and leadership. The news conference was notable for the contrite tone of both leaders. Bush acknowledged "a sense of consternation" among the American people, driven by the steady drumbeat of U.S. casualties. Their meeting came at a low moment in Bush's presidency and Blair's leadership: The decisions they made to invade Iraq, which they have defended ever since, have proved a political albatross for both. Just as they joined in the drive to war in 2003, the two leaders Thursday seemed joined by a common interest in contending that things had finally turned around in Iraq. |
Republican Defense anyone?
Rest Of The Article Here:http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/26/news/bush.php
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