Bush Denounces Iraq War Timetable

Bush said congressional Democrats know he will veto the bill and that his veto will be sustained, but that they "chose to further delay funding our troops" and "make a political statement."

He charged that the bill "would undermine our troops and threaten the safety of the American people here at home." Just as the al-Qaeda terrorist network used Afghanistan as a base to plan the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, he argued, "al-Qaeda could make Iraq a base to plan even more deadly attacks" if U.S. troops pulled out.

Marshaling arguments he has deployed repeatedly in the past, Bush said such a move "would embolden our enemies and confirm their belief that America is weak. It could unleash chaos in Iraq that could spread across the entire region. It would be an invitation to the enemy to attack America and our friends around the world."

Although Democratic conferees removed "some of the most egregious pork-barrel projects" that had been included in earlier versions, Bush said, the proposed legislation "still includes huge amounts of domestic spending that has no place in an emergency war funding bill."

He acknowledged that "Americans have serious concerns about this war" and "want our troops to come home," adding, "and so do I." But he argued that "no matter how frustrating the fight can be, and no matter how much we wish the war was over, the security of our country depends directly on the outcome in Iraq."

Bush added, "It would be an unforgivable mistake for leaders in Washington to allow politics and impatience to stand in the way of protecting the American people."

He asserted that he "listened" last November when American voters "said they were frustrated and wanted change in our strategy in Iraq," electing Democratic majorities in the House and Senate for the first time in a dozen years.

"Yet the American people did not vote for failure," Bush said. "And that is precisely what the Democratic leadership's bill would guarantee."

He said it was "not too late for Congress to do the right thing" and send him a war-funding bill without withdrawal timetables.

"I'm willing to meet with leaders in Congress as many times as it takes to resolve our differences," he said. "Yet if the Democratic leaders insist on using the bill to make a political statement, they will leave me with only one option: I will veto it. And then I'll work with Congress to pass a clean bill that funds our troops without handcuffing our commanders, spending billions of dollars unrelated to the war and forcing our nation to withdraw on the enemy's terms."

Bush made the remarks in a brief speech before boarding his Marine One helicopter on the first leg of a trip to Harlem to talk about his No Child Left Behind policy. Bush is also scheduled to attend a Republican National Committee fundraising dinner at a private residence in New York this evening before returning to Washington.

He took no questions from reporters after delivering his statement.