September 13, 2006
I spent an hour with President Bush yesterday in the oval office. He said he has never been more convinced that the decisions he’s made with respect to Iraq and the war on terror are correct. He said while tactics in the war may change, if you believe in a strategy you must stick with it.
The President said he owes this and future generations of Americans to stand firm. He worries that if he doesn’t, in fifty years it is conceivable Islamic radicalism could topple moderate governments, controlling oil and acquiring nuclear weapons.
The President said we are at war with an ideology, not a nation state and some people think the war should have been over quickly because that’s the way we live our lives and think these days. He noted the new Iraqi President has been in office only three months and that isn’t enough time to stabilize things in the midst of the turmoil Saddam Hussein created.
The President and his top advisors are increasingly confident republicans will maintain their majorities in the senate and house. It was a fascinating interview. Read more in my newspaper column, coming soon.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
