Kerry Slams Bush for Iraq 'Lies'

Oct. 22, 2006 — -- In an exclusive appearance on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., rebuked President Bush's assertion that those who advocate a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq are supporting "surrender."

"That's reprehensible. It's a lie," Kerry said.

President Bush discussed the issue in an interview with Stephanopoulos.

"Frankly, I hear disparate voices all over the place from the Democrats' side about Iraq. We got some saying, 'Get out,' " Bush said. "The person I ran against in 2004, Sen. Kerry, said at a date-certain time, withdraw."

The president insisted he was not saying his opponents, including Kerry, were unpatriotic.

"It's not questioning their patriotism. I think it's questioning their judgment," he said.

In that same exclusive interview with President Bush, portions of which aired on "This Week," the president contended, "First of all, al Qaeda is still very active in Iraq. They are dangerous. They are lethal. They are trying to not only kill American troops, but they're trying to foment sectarian violence. They believe that if they can create enough chaos, the American people will grow sick and tired of the Iraqi effort and will cause us to withdraw."

Echoing their debate in the 2004 campaign, Kerry shot back.

"The president just misled America again in that interview," he said. "Al Qaeda is not the problem in Iraq."

Kerry added, "The violence in Iraq today, George, is between Shia and Sunni; this is a civil war."

Kerry did not reserve all of his criticism for Bush. He also took aim at Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the likely contenders for the Republican presidential nomination.

"The solution in Iraq is not military," Kerry said. "If it's not military, don't talk, as John McCain does, about putting more troops in."

Kerry called McCain's approach a "fantasy" and reiterated that Bush must get tougher with the leaders of the newly formed Iraqi government.