Gingrich: Bush Has Chance to Change Course in Iraq

June 13, 2006 — -- As President Bush's two-day summit on Iraq draws to a close, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich says the president has a key opportunity to change the course of the war in the country and perhaps win pubic support at home.

"I'm somewhat uncertain about really what the president and the administration is trying to do at Camp David," said Gingrich, who sits on the Defense Policy Board, a civilian advisory panel at the Pentagon. "Are they really changing anything that we're doing in Iraq? Or is this designed basically to shore up and win public support."

Gingrich's comments came as Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq today to meet newly named Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and discuss the next steps in the war. Most of the White House press was unaware of the trip and only a handful of aides knew about it.

Waning Patience

With mid-term elections coming in November and Bush's approval ratings at approximately 30 percent, Gingrich -- who helped lead the Republican charge to gain back the majority in Congress in 1994 and has criticized the handling of the war --- said the president recognizes that Americans have lost patience with the situation in Iraq. Bush suggested this in a speech in a press conference at Camp David Monday.

"No question, the fighting is tough," Bush said. "No question, the enemy is violent and mean. But the enemy doesn't stand for anything. They have no message of hope. They have no positive philosophy. All they can do is kill and hope that the government splits up, or that the American people lose their will. And I keep reminding the American people that the stakes are worth it. It is worth it to help Iraq succeed. It is worth it to have a democracy in the Middle East."

The summit also intends reassure the new Iraqi government that the United States will complete its mission, despite concerns from some White House advisers. On Monday, Bush told the Iraqi government via video conference that the United States stands ready to help, but that success in Iraq largely depends on Baghdad's ability to secure the nation and care for its citizens.

Bush also said Iraq's neighbors should be doing more to help. He said the United States expects that countries that have promised $13 billion in financial assistance to make good on their pledges.

Gingrich said recent positive developments in Iraq -- such as the killing of head of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and the establishment of a new Iraqi government complete with ministries -- show the situation in the country is improving. However, he United States government must remain vigilant in its long fight against terrorism.

"When you look at what happened in Canada, where they arrested 17 terrorists... and the British home sect saying there may be as many as 1,200 potential terrorists in Great Britain -- this is the first globalized war," he said. "This is a long war. Iraq is a key battlefield of that war."

Democratic Assault

Yet the Democrats have not let up on their criticism of the Bush administration.

Former presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has proposed a plan to set timetable for the withdrawal of most American troops from Iraq this year. Other leaders in the House and the Senate have scheduled several debates and votes intended to shore up public support for the war. Last Thursday, the House voted on a resolution that declared Iraq a central part of "the global war on terror" and criticized any move to set "an arbitrary date" for the withdrawal of American forces.

"I think this is a real war and I think it directly affects our personal security and our families," Gingrich said.