oh really; bush says iraq instability is of hussein, not invasion

Bush Says Iraq's Sectarian Divide a Legacy of Hussein
March 29 (Bloomberg)

President George W. Bush said the instability in Iraq today is a legacy of Saddam Hussein's regime and not the result of the U.S. invasion that toppled his government.

The sectarian violence that has enveloped Iraq is boiling over now because Hussein left the nation ``physically and emotionally scarred'' by purposely dividing ethnic and religious groups to prevent them from challenging him, Bush said.

``He sought to establish himself as the only force that could keep Iraqis together,'' Bush said today in Washington in an address to the Freedom House, a non-profit organization that promotes the spread of democracy. ``It is no wonder deep divisions and scars exist.''

One of the key ways to heal those divisions, he said, is by training an army loyal to the central government and ridding police forces of the influence of sectarian militias.

Bush's speech on Iraq is his third in as many weeks as he continues attempts to reassure the American people that the conflict is worthwhile and that Iraq is on the path to democracy. The president said he wanted to address the ``legitimate questions'' being raised in the U.S., including why are Iraqis so divided and ``did America cause the instability'' that is being seen now?

`Determined to Succeed'

Bush said Iraqis are ``determined to succeed'' in building a democracy, as shown by wide participation in three elections. After the terrorist bombing of a mosque last month, Iraqi troops took the lead in confronting the sectarian violence that broke out, he said.

Helping the Iraqis is vital to U.S. security, Bush said, because a failure of the military mission will mean a victory for terrorists trying to establish a base in Iraq.

``Pulling our troops out prematurely would be a disaster,'' he said. ``America will leave Iraq, but we won't retreat from Iraq.''

Democratic Representative John Murtha of Pennsylvania last year sparked a debate about the U.S. presence in Iraq, saying the U.S. should begin immediately withdrawing from most of the country. Murtha argues that the U.S. presence is driving much of the insurgency.

Murtha's call for a withdrawal has divided congressional Democrats and only House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California among the party's leaders has endorsed it.

Democratic Criticism

Democrats today offered their own plan for national security today, which calls for making 2006 a ``year of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty'' and for a ``responsible'' redeployment of U.S. troops. Their agenda doesn't address when to withdraw U.S. forces. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid used the opportunity to criticize Bush for sending ``mixed messages'' on Iraq.

``The president can give all the speeches he wants, but nothing will change the fact that his Iraq policy is wrong,'' the Nevada Democrat said in Washington.

The U.S. has about 133,000 military personnel in Iraq and the Defense Department previously has said it was making plans to decrease that number to less than 100,000 by year's end if the Iraqis continue to make progress.

Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, who was in Iraq last week, said yesterday that while Iraqi troops are ``doing better'' at leading the battle with insurgents, ``It's going to be a slower process than some anticipate.''

Bush's job approval rating has been less than 40 percent in most national polls over the past month as an increasing number of Americans say they believe the war is going poorly. At the same time, members of Congress, including some lawmakers from Bush's Republican Party, are urging the president to put more pressure on Iraqi political leaders to form a unity government and set benchmarks for progress.

During a question-and-answer session after the speech, Bush said the U.S. is worried about Iran's influence in the formation of an Iraqi government and remains ``deeply concerned'' about whether the Iranians have the ability to build a nuclear weapon.