Bush tries to overcome flagging Iraq support

On the anniversary of the handover of sovereignty to Iraq, US president George W. Bush will try to shore up wavering support for the war wit...

On the anniversary of the handover of sovereignty to Iraq, US president George W. Bush will try to shore up wavering support for the war with an address to the nation, telling Americans it is essential to keep fighting to stabilise Iraq despite the prospect of more bloodshed.

Bush will deliver his stay-the-course message surrounded by troops at the military base at Fort Bragg, North Carolina—a backdrop designed to whip up patriotic feelings as the administration tries to cast Iraq as part of the President’s broader, and more popular, global war on terrorism.

The speech is part of a series of appearances and interviews by the Bush team after a spate of bloody suicide bombings and attacks by insurgents that has undermined public faith in the President’s policy.

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Before Bush’s speech, a Washington Post-ABC News poll found most Americans did not believe the administration’s assertions of impressive gains against the insurgency.

But a clear majority said they were willing to keep US forces there for an extended time to stabilise the country, The Washington Post said.

Bush’s approval ratings have fallen to the lowest levels of his presidency in part because of growing fears about Iraq.

Before the address, Bush plans to meet privately with families of soldiers who have died in Iraq. More than 1,700 Americans have died in the conflict and thousands more have been wounded. —Reuters

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