President Bush's Iraq Speech

Here is the transcript of President Bush's most recent speech about Iraq courtesy of CBS News.

Hugh Hewitt's impression of the speech seems representative of Conservative opinion: that the President effectively made the case for his new strategy for pacifying Iraq.

Especially impressive was the President's rejection of all of the games for managing Iraq that his political opposition has proposed. The President did not endorse a partition of Iraq. He did not endorse the proposals that the best way to pacify all of Iraq is for American forces to retreat to Kurdistan or Kuwait or Okinawa. He did not beg Iran and Syria to come to the negotiating table to accept our surrender.

Whatever happens to President Bush's domestic support in the months to come, this speech and its support of a strong, unified and independent Iraq is certain to win him some enduring praise from those parts Middle East that aren't yet under the domination of the Iranians.