Bush Foresees a Deeper U.S. Role in Iraq

The president warns that troop levels will not be cut next year and acknowledges that training of local forces has had mixed results.
WASHINGTON -- President Bush warned the American people Monday that the U.S. engagement in Iraq will intensify in the coming year, with the Jan. 30 election marking the "beginning of a process" toward democracy that will require higher troop levels and continue through 2005. Painting a far more sober picture of the situation in Iraq than he did during his reelection campaign, Bush acknowledged that efforts to train Iraqi security forces have had only "mixed" results and that a violent insurgency has eroded morale among Iraqis and Americans. Posted by Editor at December 23, 2004 06:31 AM