Bush Warns Americans To Prepare For ‘Days of Challenge and Loss’

CHICAGO – More than three years after the Iraq invasion, President Bush acknowledged to war-weary Americans yesterday that the situation is improving only gradually and urged patience with “more days of challenge and loss.”“Our progress is incremental,” Mr. Bush said during a freewheeling question-and-answer session with restaurant industry representatives after a speech on Iraq and the war on terror. “Freedom is moving, but it’s in incremental steps and the enemy’s progress is almost instant on their TV screens.”The president used his opening remarks to herald the swearing-in of the Iraqi government on Saturday, saying it represents “a watershed event” for the troubled region and “a turning in the struggle between freedom and terror.”Yet, with the new government facing security challenges and a host of other problems and the American public increasingly disapproving of his leadership of the war, Mr. Bush repeatedly returned to the word “incremental” to describe progress there.The president acknowledged the American lives lost in Iraq, past mistakes, and tough days to come.“Our nation’s been through three difficult years in Iraq,” Mr. Bush said. “And the way forward will bring more days of challenge and loss. The progress we’ve made has been hard fought and it’s been incremental. There have been setbacks and missteps like Abu Ghraib. They were felt immediately and have been difficult to overcome.”Yet, he said the government’s formation is a key turning point.“The world saw the beginning of something new – constitutional democracy at the heart of the Middle East,” he said. “This is a free government under a democratic constitution and its formation marks a victory for the cause of freedom in the Middle East.”Mr. Bush spoke as Iraq’s parliament prepared to meet for the first time after swearing in a new government on Saturday. The White House has regarded the establishment of a new government as a key step toward stabilizing Iraq and making discussion of an eventual American troop pullout possible.Also yesterday, the White House announced that Prime Minister Blair was due in Washington toward the end of the week to discuss Iraq’s future with Mr. Bush. Officials in London said the two leaders will likely focus on the future withdrawal of coalition troops from Iraq.The two were expected to meet over dinner and hold a joint press conference, but the specific days were withheld by officials because of security precautions.Mr. Bush singled out Iraq’s new prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, for praise. But he acknowledged that the road ahead will be tough, for them and for the American coalition. The three major security positions – the heads of the powerful Interior and Defense and National Security ministries – remain unfilled because of differences.“The government is still a work in progress and overcoming long-standing divisions will take time,” the president said. “Iraq’s new leaders know they have a great deal of work ahead to broaden the base of their government and unite the people.”And Mr. Bush did not stop at praise, offering a reminder to Iraq’s leaders to resist any calls to tailor governing to any of Iraq’s ethnic or religious groups.“They also understand that representing all Iraqis and not just narrow sectarian interests, they will be able to make a decisive break with the past and make a future of progress and opportunity for all of their people a reality,” the president said. “The unity government must now seize this moment and pursue a common agenda for the future.”

Bush Warns Americans To Prepare For ‘Days of Challenge and Loss’

Bush Warns Americans To Prepare For ‘Days of Challenge and Loss’

More from the New York Sun

Cézanne, Modigliani, and Soutine: Parisian Rebels Who Made Art Modern Reunite at Brooklyn Museum

Escalating Protests, Security Concerns Overshadow NFL’s Paris Debut

Ukraine Reports Restored Access to Starlink Amid Contradictory Accounts of Who Ordered the Slowdown

Two Ex-FBI Officials Face Charges of Lying to Congress Over Hunter Biden Probe

The College Degree Is Less a Must and More a Financial Calculation

Moscow Declares Plague Lab Death Case ‘Closed’ — but Nobody Is Saying What Killed Darya Shipilova

A Michigan Man Sat in Jail 10 Days Before Feds Revealed He Was an Alleged Saddam Spy

Ozempic-Style Drugs for 8-Year-Olds? Prescriptions to Young Kids Explode 310-Fold

More from the New York Sun

Cézanne, Modigliani, and Soutine: Parisian Rebels Who Made Art Modern Reunite at Brooklyn Museum

Escalating Protests, Security Concerns Overshadow NFL’s Paris Debut

Ukraine Reports Restored Access to Starlink Amid Contradictory Accounts of Who Ordered the Slowdown

Two Ex-FBI Officials Face Charges of Lying to Congress Over Hunter Biden Probe

The College Degree Is Less a Must and More a Financial Calculation

Moscow Declares Plague Lab Death Case ‘Closed’ — but Nobody Is Saying What Killed Darya Shipilova

A Michigan Man Sat in Jail 10 Days Before Feds Revealed He Was an Alleged Saddam Spy

Ozempic-Style Drugs for 8-Year-Olds? Prescriptions to Young Kids Explode 310-Fold