President George W. Bush on Monday said that the United States must not lose "our heart, our nerve, or our way" in the face of the deadly insurgency in Iraq. "We know that when the work is hard, the proper response is not retreat. It is courage," Bush told hundreds of cheering supporters in a speech to mark the US independence day in this town of some 30,000 people.
The president invoked the US war to cast off British rule, the US Civil War, and the conflicts of the 20th century, saying that: "There were many chances to lose our heart, our nerve, or our way."
"But Americans have always held firm because we have always believed in certain truths: We know that the freedom we defend is meant for all men and women, and for all times," Bush said while a giant US flag fluttered nearby.
Recent polls have shown that a majority of the US public disapproves of the way he has handled Iraq, and some surveys find a majority of Americans say that they do not believe that the war was worth fighting.
Bush said that the key to a US withdrawal is training Iraqi forces and that "as Iraqis stand up, we will stand down. And then our troops can come home to a proud and grateful nation."
A throng of protestors near the speech chanted "Bush lied, people died," "we support the troops, not the president," and waved banners calling for his removal from office and the jailing of his top political adviser.
"Bush 'nearly' smarter than the average monkey," read one sign, while another disputed the White House's linkage of the September 11 terrorist strikes to the INVASION TO OUST SADDAM HUSSEIN: "9/11 does not equal Iraq."
But Bush continued to make the link in his speech.
"The war we are fighting came to our shores on September the 11th, 2001. After that day, I made a pledge to the American people, we will not wait to be attacked again. We will bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies," said the president.
"Iraq is the latest battlefield in the war on terror," Bush said. "We will stay until the fight is won."
The president also urged the US public to show support for soldiers overseas, urging his audience of fly the US flag, write a letter to a soldier, or help relatives of soldiers serving overseas. "At this time, when we celebrate our freedom, our troops have got to understand that the American people support them all the way," said Bush, who has spent three of the past four July 4ths in West Virginia.
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