久久亚洲国产成人影院-久久亚洲国产的中文-久久亚洲国产高清-久久亚洲国产精品-亚洲图片偷拍自拍-亚洲图色视频

  Home>News Center>World
         
 

Bush: Terrorists may plan more attacks
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-09-24 09:35

Denying he has painted too rosy a picture of Iraq, US President Bush said Thursday he would consider sending more troops if asked, but Iraq's interim leader firmly said they weren't needed. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld suggested parts of Iraq might have to be excluded from elections in January.


President Bush speaks during a joint news conference with Iraq's interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, in the Rose Garden of the White House Thursday, Sept. 23, 2004 in Washington. [Reuters]

Bush and Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, standing in the Rose Garden under a bright sun, agreed that Iraq is making steady progress despite bombings, beheadings and violence that has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Americans.

"On television sets around the world we see acts of violence, yet in most of Iraq, children are about to go back to school, parents are going back to work and new businesses are being opened," Bush said. Allawi said 14 or 15 of Iraq's 18 provinces "are completely safe."

Rumsfeld was asked by a Senate committee how U.N.-supervised elections could be held if Fallujah and other restive cities remained in revolt.

"Let's say you tried to have an election and you could have it in three-quarters or four-fifths of the country — in some places you couldn't because the violence was too great," Rumsfeld said. "So be it. Nothing's perfect in life. You have an election that's not quite perfect. Is it better than not having an election? You bet."

Asked later by reporters to elaborate, Rumsfeld said: "Is it dangerous? You bet. Will there be elections? I think so. Might there be some portion of the country where the terrorists decide they're going to mess things up? Possibly. Does that mean that there won't be elections? No."

Allawi, during an evening appearance sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations, expressed optimism about the election process. He predicted security will get better during the four months remaining before the election.

"Plans are in place," he said. "We hope it will work." At another point, he said the elections "won't be 100 percent safe" but "at least it will make a very good start for Iraq."

Phil Singer, a spokesman for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, said Rumsfeld's comments were at odds with Bush's own upbeat remarks earlier in the day. "For a White House that likes to condemn mixed signals, it certainly is sending out a few of its own," Singer said.

The Bush-Allawi joint news conference echoed Bush's campaign speeches and the themes of his attacks against Kerry. On his first official visit to Washington, Allawi told a joint meeting of Congress that "the values of liberty and democracy" are taking hold in Iraq despite setbacks. He offered a simple, "Thank you, America" for driving Saddam Hussein from power.

Kerry contends Bush has been dishonest about the war's rationale and cost and lacks an effective strategy to end the crisis. While Kerry urges a start of troop withdrawals within six months and complete pullout in four years, Bush and Allawi said the United States must stand and fight.

Without mentioning Kerry by name, Bush and Allawi suggested his criticism was undercutting Iraq and the United States. "You can embolden an enemy by sending mixed messages," Bush said.

Allawi said, "When political leaders sound the sirens of defeatism in the face of terrorism, it only encourages more violence."

During his evening appearance, Allawi was asked about a purported Kerry comment that Bush invited him here to help with the re-election campaign.

Allawi said he did not want to get involved in U.S. politics. But he added that the main purpose of his visit was to express his "heartfelt appreciation" for what the United States has done in Iraq.

Kerry said that contrary to assertions by Bush and Allawi, things are not improving in Iraq "and we need to change the course to protect our troops and to win."

Speaking in Columbus, Ohio, Kerry said: "The prime minister and the president are here, obviously, to put their best face on the policy. But the fact is that the CIA estimates, the reporting, the ground operations and the troops all tell a different story."

In a rare admission of error, Bush said he should not have said — as he did Tuesday — that the CIA was just guessing in a gloomy intelligence assessment this summer that raised the prospect of Iraq tumbling into civil war. "I used an unfortunate word, 'guess,'" Bush said. "I should have used 'estimate.'

Before meeting with Allawi, Bush met in the Oval Office with Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. troops in the Middle East. Abizaid said Wednesday that more troops will be needed to secure Iraq's elections, but that he expected Iraqi or international troops could do the job. "I don't foresee a need for more American troops, but we can't discount it," Abizaid said.

Asked about Abizaid's comment, Bush said the general did not mention to him the need for more troops. "But if he were to say that, I'd listen to him," Bush said.

But Allawi said bluntly, "To have more troops, we don't need." Iraq now has 100,000 people in the police, national guard and army forces, he said.

His address to Congress was warmly received.

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who has criticized Bush on Iraq, said, "Certainly the prime minister was not going to go before the Congress of the United States or the people of this country and interject any element of doubt or questioning about his government's purpose or focus or credibility or ability."

"It was optimistic. ... It was very positive," said Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. However, Skelton added, "I would feel better if the Iraqi people would express their gratitude and stop harboring those insurgents. That's the way to express gratitude to America."



 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Premier pushes for strengthened partnership

 

   
 

Nation gears up for incoming festival, holiday

 

   
 

36 still missing as search goes on

 

   
 

Dorm: A room of one's own

 

   
 

Telecom, Netcom to link wireless services

 

   
 

Moves to expose dangers of smoking

 

   
  British hostage's family seeks Iraqi help
   
  Panic erupts in flood-ravaged Haiti city
   
  Hurricane Jeanne takes aim at Florida
   
  Six Egyptians snatched in Iraq
   
  Three Israeli soldiers shot dead
   
  Two Egyptian engineers kidnapped in Iraq
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 女人18毛片a级毛片 女人aaaaa片一级一毛片 | 国产一级一片免费播放视频 | 午夜欧美精品久久久久久久久 | wwwav在线| 新版天堂中文资源官网 | 在线一区二区三区 | 九九在线精品视频xxx | 久9视频这里只有精品 | 国产精品二区三区 | 久久99久久精品免费思思 | 国产成人午夜精品免费视频 | 日本一区毛片免费观看 | 久久综合99re久久爱 | 日本私人色多多 | 看中国一级毛片 | cao在线| 欧美高清一级啪啪毛片 | 欧美成人性色xxxx视频 | 欧美一区二区亚洲 | 欧美全免费aaaaaa特黄在线 | 国产欧美另类久久久精品免费 | 深夜福利视频在线观看免费视频 | 在线中文字幕一区 | 在线久久 | 97在线观看成人免费视频 | 日韩中文在线观看 | 免费一级在线观看 | 亚洲成人在线视频播放 | 欧美观看一级毛片 | 窝窝午夜看片七次郎青草视频 | 九九视频国产 | 国产日产韩产麻豆1区 | 国内一级野外a一级毛片 | 偷拍自拍第一页 | 综合视频在线 | 免费一级做a爰片久久毛片 免费一级做a爰片性色毛片 | 欧美日韩一区二区综合在线视频 | 中文精品视频一区二区在线观看 | 91av福利 | 国产高清片 | 免费一级特黄特色黄大任片 |