Four Years Later

Marking the anniversary of the war in Iraq

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U.S. President George W. Bush marked the four-year anniversary of the war in Iraq with a statement at the White House on March 19, 2007. (Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images/NewsCom)

March 19, 2007

Four years ago, President George W. Bush announced the start of a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. On Monday, the President marked the four-year anniversary of the war in Iraq with a statement thanking troops for their sacrifices.

"I'm grateful to our servicemen and women for all they've done," Bush said at the White House, "for the honor they've brought to their uniform and to their country."

During Monday's remarks, the President looked back on the progress he believes has been made since the start of the war, in 2003. Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is no longer in power, he pointed out, and a new government—democratically elected by Iraqi voters—has been established.

"There's been good progress," Bush observed. "There's a lot more work to be done."

Today, one of the challenges facing troops is the rise of insurgents, or armed opposition. Much of the violence in the region is the result of a power struggle between two religious groups, Sunnis and Shiites.

In February, Bush announced plans to send more than 20,000 additional troops to the capital city of Baghdad and throughout Iraq's Anbar province by the end of the year. He stressed that the goal of the planned troop increase is to leave Iraq in the hands of a stable government.

"If American forces were to step back from Baghdad, before it is more secure, [violence] could spill out across the entire country," Bush said.

Democrats in the House and Senate are pushing for legislation that would have U.S troops withdraw from Iraq in 2008.

"The American people made clear in last fall's election . . . that they have lost confidence in the President's ability to bring the war to an end,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a written statement released on Monday. “They want a new direction on Iraq.”

The United States is part of a coalition, or team of countries, currently in Iraq. Other members of the coalition include Great Britain, Australia, Denmark, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and South Korea. Several countries in the coalition, including Great Britain and South Korea, have recently announced plans to reduce the number of their troops in Iraq.

More than 3,000 members of the U.S. military have died since the start of the war in Iraq.

Protesting the War

Across the country, thousands gathered to mark the fourth anniversary of the war with antiwar protests. Protesters assembled in a number of cities, including Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

"Our Constitution guarantees the right to peacefully express one's views," said White House spokesman Blair Jones, of the protests. "The men and women in our military are fighting to bring the people of Iraq the same rights and freedoms."

According to a CNN poll released on Sunday, 35 percent of Americans say they support the war in Iraq. This is in contrast to 2004, when 56 percent of Americans said they backed the war. The Opinion Research Corp. conducted the poll of 1,027 Americans.

Critical Thinking Question

Read today's news story, and then answer the following question.

Do you think more troops should be sent to Iraq? Why or why not?

Join a discussion of this question on our bulletin board.

 

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