President Bush: The Iraq War is Unwinnable

On the Campaign Trail

"Bush Tones Down Talk of Winning Terror War"
In Tour of Swing States on Way to GOP Convention, President Elaborates on Goal of Fighting

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 31, 2004; Page A06

"Bush has given a spate of interviews in the run-up to this week's Republican National Convention in New York, and he was asked by Matt Lauer of NBC's "Today" show, in an interview taped Saturday in Ohio and shown on the convention's opening day, if the war on terrorism can be won.

"I don't think you can win it," Bush said. "But I think you can create conditions so that those who use terror as a tool are less acceptable in parts of the world. Let's put it that way.""

Does this statement reveal President Bush's unwillingness to win in Iraq or does it reveal that he does not know how to win in Iraq? If the war in Iraq is the front line in the war on terror and the war on terror is unwinnable according to the President, then how is the war in Iraq winnable? Despite his Administration's spin to the contrary, his policy has not changed over the year since stating the war's being unwinnable. Perhaps the Bush Administration's view converges more with Representative Murtha's than it is willing to admit.