December 11, 2023
President George W. Bush has announced the start of the war against Iraq.
Bush addressed the nation on television at 10.15pm Eastern time (2.15pm March 20, AEST).
He said: “At this hour American and coalition forces are in the early stage of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.”
President George W. Bush has sought to reassure a nervous American electorate that his administration has taken aggressive action to restore stability to financial markets.
Bush delivered a 10-minute address to the nation in the grounds of the White House.
Transcript of President Bush’s remarks on the financial crisis.
Good morning. Over the past few days, we have witnessed a startling drop in the stock market — much of it driven by uncertainty and fear. This has been a deeply unsettling period for the American people. Many of our citizens have serious concerns about their retirement accounts, their investments, and their economic well-being.
President Bush has addressed the nation on the financial crisis.
Bush said the government was “responding with decisive action” and was proposing a rescue effort. The effort is “not aimed at preserving any individual company or industry. It is aimed at preserving America’s overall economy.”
He said: “Financial assets related to home mortgages have lost value during the house decline, and the banks holding these assets have restricted credit. As a result, our entire economy is in danger. So I propose that the federal government reduce the risk posed by these troubled assets and supply urgently needed money so banks and other financial institutions can avoid collapse and resume lending.
President George W. Bush has announced that 20,000 US combat troops will be withdrawn from Iraq, commencing this month.
Delivering a televised address from the White House, Bush made no mention of when the remaining American forces would be withdrawn.
The occupation force will still be larger than it was before the troop “surge” earlier this year.
Bush said that the role of the US troops would shift from patrolling Iraqi neighborhoods to providing support for Iraqi troops. The American force would turn its attention to hunting down Al Qaeda terrorists, he said.
President Bush “failed to provide either a plan to successfully end the war or a convincing rationale to continue it”, according to Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed.
Delivering the Democratic Party response to Bush’s address, Reed said “an endless and unlimited military presence in Iraq is not an option”.