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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Bush speech to back Iraq strategy | Bush speech to back Iraq strategy |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| US President George W Bush is giving the first in a series of speeches defending his strategy in the "war on terror", as mid-term polls approach. | |
| Mr Bush, arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah, to address military veterans, said victory in Iraq would be "a major ideological triumph". | Mr Bush, arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah, to address military veterans, said victory in Iraq would be "a major ideological triumph". |
| He is to speak several times on Iraq and security in the next two weeks. | He is to speak several times on Iraq and security in the next two weeks. |
| Correspondents say his Republican party fears unease over the Iraq war could damage their standing in coming polls. | Correspondents say his Republican party fears unease over the Iraq war could damage their standing in coming polls. |
| BBC correspondent James Westhead says the White House is thought to be trying shift attention from the unpopular war in Iraq to the global terror threat. | BBC correspondent James Westhead says the White House is thought to be trying shift attention from the unpopular war in Iraq to the global terror threat. |
| He says the threat remains a politically potent issue, and one over which the president has the backing of much of the US public. | He says the threat remains a politically potent issue, and one over which the president has the backing of much of the US public. |
| 'Wider context' | 'Wider context' |
| Speaking on Wednesday before leaving for Salt Lake City, Mr Bush said his planned speeches were "not political". | Speaking on Wednesday before leaving for Salt Lake City, Mr Bush said his planned speeches were "not political". |
| "They're speeches to make it clear that, if we retreat before the job is done, this nation will become even more in jeopardy," he said. | "They're speeches to make it clear that, if we retreat before the job is done, this nation will become even more in jeopardy," he said. |
| "These are important times, and I would seriously hope people wouldn't politicise these issues that I'm going to talk about." | "These are important times, and I would seriously hope people wouldn't politicise these issues that I'm going to talk about." |
| On arriving in Salt Lake City, President Bush told an audience at the airport that the US could not afford to abandon Iraq. | On arriving in Salt Lake City, President Bush told an audience at the airport that the US could not afford to abandon Iraq. |
| "If we leave the streets of Baghdad before the job is done, we will have to face the terrorists in our own cities," he said. | "If we leave the streets of Baghdad before the job is done, we will have to face the terrorists in our own cities," he said. |
| "We will stay the course, we will help this young Iraqi democracy succeed," he said. | "We will stay the course, we will help this young Iraqi democracy succeed," he said. |
| According to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, the president plans to put "the violence that Americans are seeing on their TV and reading in their papers into a larger context". | According to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, the president plans to put "the violence that Americans are seeing on their TV and reading in their papers into a larger context". |
| 'UN address' | 'UN address' |
| Mr Bush is also expected to discuss the recent conflict between Israel and Lebanon, as well as Iran's controversial nuclear programme. | Mr Bush is also expected to discuss the recent conflict between Israel and Lebanon, as well as Iran's controversial nuclear programme. |
| Iran has again said it has a right to a nuclear programme as a deadline set by UN asking it to stop controversial uranium enrichment expires. | Iran has again said it has a right to a nuclear programme as a deadline set by UN asking it to stop controversial uranium enrichment expires. |
| Mr Bush's two-week-long series of speeches on the "war on terror" coincides with the anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks and culminates in an address to the United Nations on 19 September. | Mr Bush's two-week-long series of speeches on the "war on terror" coincides with the anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks and culminates in an address to the United Nations on 19 September. |
| The US is to hold mid-term polls on 7 November. | The US is to hold mid-term polls on 7 November. |