Editorial: President’s talk offered nothing new

Thursday, April 15, 2004 | 8:30 a.m.

President Bush addressed the American people Tuesday night after a fortnight of bad news that reflected poorly on his presidency.

Eighty-six members of the U.S. armed forces had been killed as the result of attacks by insurgents and terrorists in Iraq. The hearings by the Sept. 11 Commission had produced testimony that his administration paid little attention to terrorism until after the attacks on New York City and Washington. A memo the White House had released under pressure contradicted previous administration statements that there had been no reason to suspect attacks within the United States.

The public was beginning to ask: "Where are we going with the war in Iraq? And what relationship does it have to international terrorism?" Adding gravity to these sorts of questions were the polls, which showed Bush slipping behind John Kerry. It was time for President Bush himself, not a Cabinet member, to explain his position and take on the hard questions.

He began by skewering the notion of some analysts that the recent attacks in Iraq represent a popular uprising or civil war. He said a minority of extremists are responsible and that most of the country is stable. He emphasized his commitment to transfer governmental control of Iraq back to Iraqis on June 30. A free and democratic Iraq is essential to winning the war on terrorism and securing the safety of the United States, he maintained. He vowed to never retreat from his goal of a free Iraq, which he said will "stand as an example to reformers across the Middle East." He held fast to his belief that weapons of mass destruction might yet be found in Iraq.

All of this was a familiar refrain from the president. Hardly a word was new, despite the past several weeks of worsening conditions in Iraq. Essentially, Bush's opening remarks were a rehash of his general thoughts about American involvement in Iraq. With all the renewed fighting, we were interested in hearing about a plan to secure that nation in time for the June 30 transfer of power.

Bush did pay tribute to our service members and to those who have been killed and injured, but again spoke in general about how our military will respond. "We will finish the work of the fallen," he said. He only hinted at what many Americans are fearing -- an escalation of the troop buildup in Iraq. There are 135,000 service members there now, and Bush said if Gen. John P. Abizaid, the top American commander in Iraq, makes a recommendation (for more troops), "he'll get it." Bush dismissed any comparisons with Vietnam, but to our ears, this comment brought back memories of Gen. William C. Westmoreland, making buildup recommendations to President Johnson while he commanded troops in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968.

We were hoping the president would offer a backup plan in case June 30 comes and Iraq is not ready to govern itself. It is hard to imagine that in two and a half months Iraq will be ready for self rule, when so much of the country is beset with violence, and when there are reports of its U.S.-trained policemen fleeing the violence instead of confronting it. Instead, the president said he was sticking to the deadline. Later, Bush was asked what kind of government would be receiving this power. When all he could say was "We'll find that out soon," our sense that a backup plan is needed heightened considerably.

Bush was asked about his administration's preparedness in the months before Sept. 11 and about any mistakes or errors in judgments made by him or the people around him. This was a perfect chance to acknowledge that the United States had not taken terrorism within its borders seriously enough and to offer an apology for the failings of the FBI, CIA and himself in not reacting more aggressively to the intelligence that had been known. Instead, he skirted the issue, saying, "The person responsible for those attacks was Osama bin Laden." He followed that with a dig at the Clinton administration, saying, "I don't think the prior government could envision flying airplanes into buildings on such a massive scale.

During his hour-long news conference, Bush displayed a trait he is known for -- unwavering resolve. But he did not display something just as important -- clear plans for stabilizing Iraq and getting on with the war against al-Qaida and other known terrorists.