At a press conference today, President Bush said, “We’re not leaving [Iraq] so long as I’m the president. That would be a huge mistake.” His term ends almost two-and-a-half years from now, in January 2009. Watch it:
[flv http://video.thinkprogress.org/2006/08/bushleave.320.240.flv]
Transcript:
BUSH: The strategy is to help the Iraqi people achieve the objectives and dreams which is a democratic society. That’s the strategy. The tactics — now — either you say yes it’s important we stay there and get it done or we leave. We’re not leaving so long as I’m the president. That would be a huge mistake. It would send an unbelievably you know terrible signal to reformers across the region. It would say we’ve abandoned our desire to change the conditions that create terror.
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