President Bush on Monday hailed the formation of a unity government in Iraq as “a turning point in the struggle between freedom and terror,” a notion dismissed by some Democrats.
“Years from now, people will look back on the formation of a unity government in Iraq as a decisive moment in the story of liberty, a moment when freedom gained a firm foothold in the Middle East and the forces of terror began their long retreat,” Bush told an audience in Chicago.
Though Bush warned that violence will continue for the foreseeable future, he predicted that Iraq would eventually become so stable that it will attract tourists by the millions.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., disputed the notion of political progress in Iraq.
“There’s been no progress at all,” he told NBC on Monday. “It’s an illusion of progress. It’s a mischaracterization, a misrepresentation.”
Murtha repeated his call, first issued six months ago, for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
“Not a good idea to do that,” U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told CBS. “There is a danger of the terrorists taking over a part of Iraq that would make Afghanistan and the Taliban look like child’s play, given the resources of Iraq.
“I understand that the American people are losing patience, but I want to tell them that with this government of national unity, a very important step has been taken in the right direction,” he said. “We need to be patient.”
Bush agreed.
“Our nation’s been through three difficult years in Iraq,” he said. “There have been setbacks and missteps, like Abu Ghraib, that were felt immediately and have been difficult to overcome. Yet we have now reached a turning point in the struggle between freedom and terror.”
