Bush rejects to withdraw forces from Iraq, Allawi thanks him for the invasion
Iraq-USA, Politics, 9/24/2004

In a joint press conference with the Interim Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi, the US President George W. Bush announced that what is called violence in Iraq might increase from now until the elections in January, 2005.

Bush considered that the current phase is decisive. He said that the " Iraqis rather than terrorists will decide the future of Iraq." He also added that the situation is improving in Iraq despite what he called the scenes of violence broadcast by the TV networks.

Bush said that the war in Iraq is not an Iraqi war, rather an international war against what he called terrorism, and that withdrawal from Iraq will be a treason for the mission of America and its friends. He stressed that what he had described as terrorists will plan to carry out attacks in the USA and other areas in the world if the American forces will withdraw from Iraq.

Bush added that the field leaders did not ask for an increase in the number of forces in Iraq, stressing he will respond to any request in this regard. He explained that Iraq should remain able to defend itself and that there are trained Iraqi forces and these forces will number thousands by the end of this year. "The Iraqi government is on track to build a force of over 200,000 security personnel by the end of next year," he said. "With the help of the American military, the training of the Iraqi army is almost halfway complete."

Bush said "anyone that says that Iraq was safe under the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is mistaken. We went to Iraq after the failure of diplomacy."

For his part, Allawi offered his condolences to those who lost their children at the hands of what he called terrorists. He thanked the US and its president over what he described as the liberation of Iraq.

Allawi said he had discussed with Bush the various challenges facing Iraq and means of facing it, in addition to confirming holding the elections in their due time and maintaining the military international situation in Iraq.

He added that his government placed a plan that concentrates on " building democracy, defeating the enemy and building a political future for Iraq, and is working to isolate the terrorists." Allawi also indicated that the military plan helps to maintain stability in Iraq and that the Iraqi security forces will be ready very soon to shoulder its security responsibility, noting "we do not want to keep the coalition forces beyond what is needed." He confirmed that the Iraqi elections will be held in January, 2005, stressing that 15 areas in Iraq enjoy stability and elections can be made there at the set time.

Prior to his meeting with Bush at the white house Eyad Allawi considered in a speech before a joint meeting for the Senate and Congress that the USA had taken the rightful decision to launch a war in Iraq, considering that the US had supported the values of freedom and democracy.

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