Iraq war worth it: Bush
"Iraq is where they are making their stand. So we will fight them there, we will fight them across the world, and we will stay in the fight until the fight is won," Bush said.
Democrats immediately charged Bush failed to offer a clear plan for success in Iraq. "It is not enough for the president to say 'stay the course' and make a few minor adjustments. The president needs to lay out a concrete plan," said New York Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Bush, whose approval ratings have fallen to the lowest levels of his presidency in part because of growing fears about Iraq, invoked the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, repeatedly and cited al-Qaeda leader bin Laden as a reason for continuing the effort in Iraq.
No connection between Saddam Hussein and the Sept. 11 attacks was ever established, but Bush said Iraq is a central front in the war on terrorism in part because the insurgency is led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who has sworn allegiance to bin Laden.
"The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September 11, if we abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like bin Laden," Bush said.
Bush also argued against setting a deadline for a US withdrawal as some members of the US Congress have demanded.
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