President Bush has announced that he will address the nation tonight regarding the ongoing war in Iraq. The address takes place on the one-year anniversary of the handover of sovereignty to the new Iraqi government. The president will speak from Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Right now, the public's approval rating of Mr. Bush's handling of the war in which more than 1,740 American troops have died, is at a new low. The president will attempt to rally the country behind what increasingly seems to be a war without end or definite purpose. More than half of Americans surveyed in the latest Gallup poll believe the war in Iraq was a mistake.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told NBC's 'Today Show' this morning that the president will stress the need for patience.
'I know it's difficult and the president will acknowledge that,' Rice said. 'But the United States has been through difficult times before to come out on the other side with a more stable world.'
On Monday, Bush told reporters that progress in Iraq was being made despite the apparent strength of the insurgency.
'Parallel with the security track is a political track. Obviously, the political track has made progress this year when 8 million people went to the polls and voted,' Bush insisted.
The president also added, 'The key to success in Iraq is for the Iraqis to be able and capable of defending their democracy against terrorists.'
White House press secretary Scott McClellan added, 'This is a time of testing. It is a critical moment in Iraq. The terrorists are seeking to shake our will and weaken our resolve. They know that they cannot win unless we abandon the mission before it is complete.'
Tonight's speech is part of a new public-relations offensive by the White House to calm public fears regarding the war in Iraq. Recent statements by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and General John Abizaid that the insurgency could last for years combined with the frequency of attacks by the insurgents and the high number of American casualties have further eroded public support for the war.
In addition, recent discussion on the Downing Street Memo has raised further questions about the necessity for entering the war in the first place and what the president's motive may have been.
Mr. Bush's legacy as president may very well be decided by the outcome of the war in Iraq. Right now, the president faces an uphill battle convincing Americans that he is on the right course in this war. It is a fight he cannot afford to lose.
