DONNELLY, Idaho (AP) -- President Bush charged Tuesday that anti-war protesters such as Cindy Sheehan, who want the troops brought home immediately, are "advocating a policy that would weaken the United States."
In remarks to reporters outside an exclusive resort where he is vacationing, Bush gave no indication that he would change his mind and meet with Sheehan, who lost a son in Iraq and has emerged as a harsh critic of the war there, when he returns to his Texas ranch Wednesday evening.
...Bush said that two high-ranking member of his staff have already met with her.
On Iraq, Bush said that a democratic constitution "is going to be an important change in the broader Middle East."
Reaching an accord on a constitution after years of dictatorship is not easy, Bush said.
He spoke after the head of the committee drafting Iraq's constitution said Tuesday that three days are not enough to win over the minority Sunni Arabs, and the document they rejected may ultimately have to be approved by parliament as is and submitted to the people in a referendum.
Iraqi leaders completed a draft Monday night and submitted it to parliament, but with only minutes to go before a midnight deadline, they delayed a vote to give them time to convince Sunni Arab negotiators to accept it.
Bush spoke to reporters outside the Tamarack Resort, in the mountains 100 miles north of Boise.
Bush was asked about the possibility that objections to the constitution as it now stands from the Sunnis, the party of deposed leader Saddam Hussein, could trigger a civil war.
"The Sunnis have got to make a choice -- do they want to live in a society that's free?" Bush said.
He said he thought that most mothers, regardless of their religion, would prefer to live in peace rather than violence.
He congratulated Israeli President Ariel Sharon on the completion of the withdrawal of settlers from the Gaza Strip.
And Bush praised Sharon for making "a tough decision" and said the next step would be to establish a working government there.
Why do Russ Feingold, Chuck Hagel, and those of their ilk want us to cut and run from Iraq? What is wrong with them?
They are displaying an unbelievable degree of naivete. They don't seem to understand what's at risk here.
In the words of Margaret Thatcher, this is "no time to go wobbly!".
From the beginning, the anti-Bush, anti-war crowd has considered the war in Iraq a quagmire, another Vietnam. It's not.
We are fighting for OUR freedom. Feingold and Hagel don't get it. The radical Islamic fundamentalists perceive us as weak.
Why did the terrorists think they could attack the U.S., supposedly the greatest power on the earth, and live another day? After Vietnam, after Somalia, the terrorists believe they can count on Americans to lack the resolve to fight for what we believe in.
Feingold and Hagel and their comrades are a disgrace. They are behaving like two-year-olds--no patience, no delayed gratification, no foresight.
Bringing peace to the Middle East is crucial to our safety. In order to defeat radical Islamic fundamentalists, our enemies, we need to offer them an environment of freedom and hope. In the long term, that's in our own best interests.
What our troops have accomplished in Afghanistan and Iraq is not occupation. It's not an imperialistic effort. It's not about oil. It's about freedom from oppression. It's liberation.
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis risked their lives to vote in last January's election. They want to be self-governing.
Saddam Hussein is awaiting trial for his crimes. His reign of terror is OVER.
We are on the right path. Freedom from tyranny is the only acceptable outcome in Iraq and in the Middle East in general. We cannot betray the Iraqis by cutting and running.
We cannot allow the MoveOn-Democracy for America-True Majority axis of extremists to undermine the mission. We cannot allow Cindy Sheehan and her radical far left-wing cohorts to dishonor the sacrifice of our fallen Americans.
Failure is not an option. We cannot accept defeat in Iraq.
Victory is essential. The ideology of hate that thrives in the Middle East must be eradicated so that WE may live in freedom.
The battle in Iraq is critical to our success in the War on Terror.
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