President Bush told the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars that 'a policy of retreat and isolation will not bring us safety' as he attempted to defend his policies in the ongoing war in Iraq.
Recent polls have shown support for the war at its lowest level with less than 40 percent of Americans believing the invasion and occupation of Iraq was worth the cost and an even smaller amount supporting Mr. Bush's handling of the war.
While the president said we have not been attacked on American soil since September 11, he told the audience, 'We're not yet safe. Terrorists in foreign lands still hope to attack our country. We must confront threats before they fully materialize.'
He then insisted, 'The only way to defend to our citizens where we live is to go after the terrorists where they live.'
At present, no link has been established between the ousted government of Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda, the group responsible for the September 11 attacks. While it is true a large number of foreign jihadists are now found in Iraq, they seem to have entered the country only after the United States invaded the country.
Bush tried to equate the war in Iraq directly with the war on terrorism.
'Our enemy, the terrorists, are ruthless and brutal. They're fighting on behalf of a hateful ideology that despises everything America stands for,' Bush said.
'They have a strategy,' he added. 'And part of that strategy is to try and shake our will.'
A large number of protesters gathered outside the hall where the president was speaking.
Celeste Zappala of Philadelphia, the mother of a national guardsman who was killed in Iraq, led the protesters in an nearby park.
Zappala told Reuters, 'We all know that 'noble' cause for war that Bush talks about has changed several times.'
Mr. Bush is expected to address a group of National Guardsmen in Nampa, Idaho, just west of Boise on Wednesday to further promote his plans to continue the war. He then will return to his ranch in Crawford, Texas to resume his five-week vacation.
