President Bush     

For all of his critics who wonder what success in Iraq will look like, President Bush has an answer.

In a recent interview with Steve Scully, political editor of C-SPAN, the president has said that when U.S. troops leave Iraq, they will leave behind a more unified country with greater economic opportunities, less violence and a government that will not tolerate terrorism.

“There will be violence.  There will be criminality.  But they will also see a country in which the security forces are better equipped and better at dealing with the extremists,” President Bush said.

The president continued by explaining that the largest obstacle in the Middle East are the extremists.  He said the radical groups are attempting to shake up those who want to live in peace in order to gain an ideological advantage and create a safe haven.

Future of Iraq

President Bush did not say that victory in Iraq will look like America.  Instead, he explained that it will be a country in which mothers will be able to raise their children in peace.  He said the country will be normal and security forces will be well armed and trained.

The Iraqi government will be “one in which the government is exercising its responsibility on behalf of the people; one in which the constitution that had been voted on is the cornerstone of law for that society,” the president said.  “One which rejects extremism and violence and does not allow a group like al Qaeda to find safe haven within its border.”

The president is clearly optimistic about the outcome of the Iraq war. However, with plans for a troop surge in place, Scully reminded the president about the critical debates that will be taking place this week in the House about that decision.

“One option that some in the Congress think makes sense was to withdraw from Baghdad.  In other words, just let them fight it out.  And some just say we shouldn’t be there at all,” the president said.  “Either one of those cases, in my judgment, would create chaos.”

Bush on Criticism
           
The president said he listens to the news and hears the criticism of the people, but that he believes in the diplomats and the military people he has positioned around him. He said that they understand the situation in Iraq.

Instead of giving into criticism and creating a situation for potential chaos, the president is determined to stay the course and secure the capital city of Baghdad, which he feels is the focus of the war at this time.

“Most of the country is in good shape.  The truth of the matter is, if Baghdad looked like most of the rest of the country, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Bush said.

Scully and the president continued their conversation discussing topics such as the media’s influence on the war, his most difficult decisions as president, the immigration debates, the president’s favorite books, and his plans for life after the presidency. 

Scully’s interview with the president will air on C-SPAN. The transcript of the interview can be found in it’s entirety at http://www.cspan.org/executive/gwbushinterview.asp