He can stay there! I don't want him back!
"Bush defends US troop buildup in Iraq; Gets assurance that Australia won't cut forces" by Tom Raum/Associated Press September 5, 2007
SYDNEY - Fresh from a surprise visit to Iraq, President Bush brought conviction that his troop buildup strategy is working to one of his few remaining staunch war allies, Prime Minister John Howard of Australia.
Bush will spend much of today with Howard, including meetings, lunch, a joint news conference, and dinner, ahead of the 21-nation Asia-Pacific summit later in the week. Bush was also to meet with Australian troops.
His visit was expected to be accompanied by a series of protests by groups unhappy with the summit's pro-business agenda, the Iraq war and the Howard government's support for it. But demonstrations were light yesterday -- before Bush's nighttime arrival in this heavily fortified city.
The war remains unpopular here, and Howard faces an aggressive challenge in elections expected to be called within three months. Polls show Howard, in office for 11 years, trailing opposition leader Kevin Rudd, who has promised to pull combat troops out of Iraq if he wins. Howard has refused to set a deadline.
Bush, who meets with Rudd tomorrow, has urged coalition partners to make decisions based on conditions on the ground rather than on internal politics. He has voiced strong support for Howard, calling him "a man of steel." Howard has been equally effusive about Bush.
Howard is the last leader among the major original "coalition of the willing" partners still serving. Among those who paid a political price for standing with Bush on the war are former prime ministers Tony Blair of Britain, Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, and Jose Maria Aznar of Spain.
[Awww, then Georgie will be ALL ALONE! GOOD!!!]
En route to Australia, Bush made an unannounced stop in Iraq, meeting Monday with Iraqi government and Sunni tribal leaders, US troops and their commanders at a military base in the heart of Anbar Province, 120 miles west of Baghdad and once rife with Sunni insurgents. He was joined by his war cabinet.
Bush emphasized his belief that his current strategy which increased US troop levels this year by about 30,000 to a total of 160,000 was working and he raised the possibility of US troop cuts if violence continues to ease. He reiterated his belief that troop-level decisions must be based on conditions on the ground and recommendations from military commanders. He was expected to repeat this stance in his conversations with Howard.
[See how they like to REPEAT CONVENTIONAL LIES!?!]
After Bush's comments in Iraq and the withdrawal of British troops in Basra in southern Iraq, Howard told reporters he did not envision any reductions in Australian combat troops:
"We don't intend to pull our battle groups out of southern Iraq. We see it continuing to do very valuable work."
Bush's visit to Iraq was an attempt to get out in front of an expected confrontation with Congress.
Bush told reporters aboard Air Force One between Iraq and Australia:
"The main factor that will affect my decision on troop levels is, can we succeed? What does it take to succeed? Because failure would lead to harm to America, is what I believe. As a matter of fact, I'm certain of it."
[Bush guaranteeing another 9/11?]
Bush arrived here early and was leaving before the final weekend session of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to return to Washington in time for that report, and for the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Bush vigorously defended his troop buildup in Iraq, and got a boost when Howard said his country's forces there won't change for the foreseeable future:
"Our commitment to Iraq remains. This is not the time for any proposals of a scaling down of Australian forces."
Bush spoke forcefully about the 30,000 additional American troops he sent to Iraq this year:
"If I didn't think we could succeed, I wouldn't have our troops there. It is important that we hang in there with the Iraqis and help them."
