Dean: President's Speech Offers War Without End

On the same day the New York Times reported that the compromise on how to govern Iraqi oil fields, one of the most significant political reconciliation issues facing the Iraqi government, is collapsing, and just two days after General Petraeus reported that he doesn't know if our continued presence in Iraq is making America safer, President Bush is scheduled to speak on the Iraq war. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement in anticipation of President Bush's speech in which he is expected to announce that he will continue the troop surge until next year and only return to pre-surge troop levels by the middle of 2008:

"The President's speech tonight offers a war without end. It is a PR stunt to buy more time for a stay the course strategy in Iraq that simply hasn't worked. There's a reason two-thirds of Americans want a troop decrease in Iraq: our brave troops have done everything that's been asked of them, but they cannot solve Iraq's political problems. Now they are hostage to the failure of our civilian leadership to present a thoughtful plan to bring them home.

"It is long past time for the President to acknowledge the realities on the ground in Iraq and for Bush Republicans in Congress to stop standing behind the President and start standing up for the American people instead. Republicans urged the American people all along to wait till September before changing course. Well it's September, and it's time to do just that."