Bush braces US for sacrifice

Bush, who personally intervened this week with a key Shi’ite leader in a bid to broker a deal on Iraq’s constitution, said Iraqis were "making the tough choices and compromises necessary for a free and peaceful future."

With almost 1,900 US troops dead in the Iraq conflict, Bush is under mounting pressure from critics to finish training a new Iraqi security force and bring the soldiers home.

Bush supporters and anti-war protesters, including relatives of soldiers who died in Iraq, were slated to face off this weekend with rallies near the president’s 1,600-acre Crawford ranch, where he has been spending much of August on vacation.

Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq in April 2004, has been holding a vigil outside the ranch seeking another meeting with him to press for the quick withdrawal of US troops. She will be countered by other soldiers’ families who back the US action in Iraq.

In his weekly radio address, Bush acknowledged the job for US soldiers was not yet done.

"Our efforts in Iraq and the broader Middle East will require more time, more sacrifice and continued resolve," he said.

Bush has said withdrawing now would only embolden insurgents who have sought to derail the drafting of an interim constitution.

"And when Iraqi forces can defend their freedom by taking more and more of the fight to the enemy, our troops will come home with the honour they have earned," he said.

Bush praised the efforts of Iraqi leaders to agree on principles to guide their country’s future, despite religious and other divisions.

"What is important is that Iraqis are now addressing these issues through debate and discussion — not at the barrel of a gun," he said.

Bush’s message was part of renewed push to counter critics of his Iraq war policy and boost his standing in the polls. The latest Gallup survey showed that just two in five Americans approved of the job he was doing while 56 percent disapproved of his performance.

Compared to other post-World War II presidents at this point in their second term, only Richard Nixon had a lower job approval rating and he was in the midst of the Watergate scandal, Gallup said. The others were all above 50 percent.

"Iraqis are working together to build a free nation that contributes to peace and stability in the region, and we will help them succeed," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

He gave no sign of dismay at serious snags in Iraq’s democratic process.

In Baghdad, majority Shi’ites and minority Sunni Arabs remained at odds over the draft constitution. The Shi’ite-dominated constitution committee planned to submit an amended draft to Iraq’s parliament this weekend. Sunnis, unimpressed with a compromise offer, submitted counter-proposals and planned to meet with the US ambassador.

One Sunni negotiator, Saleh al-Mutlaq, called on Iraqis to reject the draft constitution in an October 15 referendum.

In his radio address, Bush showed only confidence that the problems would be overcome, saying a new democratic constitution "will be a landmark event" in the Mideast.

"Like our own nation’s founders over two centuries ago, the Iraqis are grappling with difficult issues, such as the role of the federal government," he said. The president also hailed Israel’s "courageous and painful" removal of Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank, linking that move with Iraq’s efforts toward democracy as causes for renewed hope for the broader Middle East.

"People are making the tough choices necessary for a future of security and hope that will make the region and the world more peaceful," Bush said.

The president spoke in unusually strong terms about the Palestinians’ obligation to crack down on terrorist attacks in the wake of the Gaza pull-out.

"The Palestinians must show the world that they will fight terrorism and govern in a peaceful way," he said. "We remain fully committed to defending the security and well-being of our friend and ally Israel. We demand an end to terrorism and violence in every form because we know that progress depends on ending terror."

The radio address devoted to optimism about developments in the region was one of a series of remarks by Bush aimed at countering declining poll standings and questions about how long US troops will be kept in Iraq.

Earlier this week, Bush delivered speeches in Idaho and Utah. He plans a third in San Diego on Tuesday focusing on the war on terror and Iraq — part of a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The president has repeatedly said that the United States cannot withdraw from Iraq now, because doing so would dishonour the sacrifice of the fighting men and women who have perished there and would endanger America’s security.

"Our efforts in Iraq and the broader Middle East will require more time, more sacrifice and continued resolve," he said. "Yet people across the Middle East are choosing a future of freedom and prosperity and hope.

"And as they take these brave steps, Americans will continue to stand with them because we know that free and democratic nations are peaceful nations."