WASHINGTON, 14 October 2005 — President George W. Bush, his credibility on Iraq under fire, enlisted 10 US soldiers and one Iraqi Army sergeant yesterday to reassure the American public two days before Iraqis vote on a constitution.
In a carefully choreographed videoconference from an office building on the White House grounds, Bush spoke to troops in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit about Saturday’s referendum and how well Iraqi troops were performing.
“One of the things that people in America want to know is: Do the Iraqis want to fight, and are they capable of fighting?” he asked the soldiers, who appeared to be on a rooftop or terrace overlooking the city.
The troops, who have been working with local forces to shore up the security situation ahead of the vote, said Iraqis had been carrying out operations with US support and seemed ready.
“Along with the (US-led) coalition backing them, we’ll have a very successful and effective referendum,” said one US Army captain, who did not directly vouch for Iraqi forces’ ability to fight.
Bush has answered growing calls in the United States for setting a firm timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq by saying that a pullout is out of the question until fledgling Iraqi security forces can keep order.
The president has repeatedly praised their performance — even after the top US commander in Iraq disclosed in late September that only a single Iraqi battalion could operate with US support.
Gen. George Casey told lawmakers that the number of Iraqi battalions at the highest readiness rating had shrunk from three to one over the past few months, but he attributed the slump to more rigorous standards.
Another officer taking part in the call predicted that roughly six Iraqi battalions would be carrying out independent operations over the next month.
Bush asked the troops questions that have been much on the mind of a US public that increasingly opposes the war in Iraq and polls that show greater numbers of Americans doubt their president’s leadership.
He asked what Iraqi civilians thought about the US military presence, and heard back that voter registration was up and that “the Iraqi people are ready and eager to vote in this referendum.”
The most enthusiastic participant in the call seemed to be the Iraqi sergeant, who happily grabbed the microphone to say: “Thank you for everything. Thank you very much for everything. I like you!”
Although the White House had denied that the videoconference would be scripted, calling it a casual “back and forth,” a Pentagon aide walked the soldiers through the questions and who would answer them.
