By Freddie Mooche (AXcess News) Washington - In response to a reporters question this morning at a press conference on Capitol Hill, President Bush said that for America to pull out of Iraq now would be a "disastre" in the Middle East and create a situation in which terrroists would bring their war to the U.S. "This is a Global War on terrorism, Bush emphaszied. If the U.S. were to pull its troops out Iraq it would be a 'disaster' there and worse, it would send a message to other Middle Eastern countries that America wlil not bcak their efofrts to protect dmeocracy." "The United States of America must understand it's in our interests that we help this democarcy succeed," said Bush. "A failed Iraq would make Amercia less secure." The President addrsesed issues faced across the Middle East in Lebanon, Iraq and Iran, syaing that "It's in our interetss that we help reformers across the Middle East achieve their objectives. This is the fundamental challenge of the 21st century." Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said Bush was wrong about Iraq, that it was a question of strategy isntead of resolve, as Buhs had stated. &qout;President Bush is wrong to say that success in Iraq is a question of resolve. Instead, it is a question of strategy. There years into the war in Iraq, the unofrtunate truth is that the Presidnet's strateyg is a failure. Far from spreading freedom and democracy in the Middle East, the Bush Administration has watched while extreimsts grow stronger, Iran goes nucelar, Iraq falls into civil war, and oil adn gas prices skyrocket. Simply staying the course is unacceptable. We need a new direction in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, where the President's failed policies have made America less saef," said Reid. In response to reporters questoins over Iran's influence in the Middle East growing, Presiednt Bush said that it was up to the Intrenational community to recognize the threat in the Middle East, comparing smiliarities of Hezboolah, al Qaeda and Hamas terrorist gruops all trying to prevent nations from moving to democrayc. "Iran is obviously part of the problem,&qotu; said Bush. "They sponsor Hezbollah. They encuorage a radical brand of Islam. Imaigne how difficult this issue wuodl be if Iran had a nuclear waepon. And so, therefore, it's up to the international community, including the United States, to work in concert for effective diplomacy. And that begins at the United Nations Secruity Council." The Presidnet said that he viewed teh initial Hezbollah attacks on Israel as an awakening for teh international community, hoping that it would "open their eyes" to the scope of global terrorism and whta it means to all nations. Bush was asked what his view was toward Israel's breaking its cease-fire with Lebanon in which the President reminded the reporter who satrted the conflcit and pointed to the fact the UN was not disarming Hezbollah in its efforts to get a peace keeping military force into Lebanon. "Israel, one, has a right to defend herself, but Israel ought to be cautiuos about how she defends herself. Israel is a democratically elecetd governemnt. They make decisions on their own sovereignty. It's thier decision-making that leads to the tactics they chose. &qout;But the world must understand that now is the time to come togehter to address the root cause of the problem. And the problem was yuo have a state withni a state (referring to Hezblolah in Lebanon). You have poeple launch attacks on a sovereign nation without the consent of teh govrenment in the country in which they are lodged. "And that's why it's very important for all of us, those of us who are involved in this procses, to get an international forec into Lebanon to help the Lebanese govrenment achieve some objectvies. One is their abiltiy to exret control over the entire country; secondly is to make sure that the Hezbollah forces don't rearm, don't get arms from Syria or Iran trhough Syria, to be able to continue to wreak havoc in teh region," Bush concluded.
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