That's nothing more than save face PR.

Questioner, Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

Great Moments in Military History:

Napoleon, Moscow, 1812.
Bush, US Marine base, Iraq, 2007.

Martin Vellaway, FLAGSTAFF, AZ, USA.

If bush is so convinced that security and all that other stuff he bloviates endlessly about is coming along so swimmingly better, why doesn't he do the heroic and "manly" thing? That is, take leave from his vetted trained seal audience in the safe zone at al-Asad in Anbar and take a stroll down the Arab Street through the Baghdad bazaar so he can see just how good everything really is "on the ground" and how the Iraqis just love him to death. Methinks his reception would be warm and bright, alright...but not with bouquets of colorful flowers.

DJ, Yuma, USA/Arizona

The title of this article contains a truth which does not then appear in the article. This leads me to believe that the editor may have deleted from the full article a reference by the reporter that Bush didn't go to Baghdad because his security people probably told him that they couldn't guarantee his safety anywhere near Baghdad. As General Odom said: the war in Iraq is the worst strategic disaster in American history.

Jamie Kelso, West Palm Beach, FL

"Bush sticks to safe ground in Iraq." That's a joke, right? Why am I not laughing? Did anyone expect him to do anything more? Seriously? Has he ever?

JimBob, Encino, CA, USA

al-Asad airbase is the old British airbase of Habbaniyya, outside Ramadi. Symbolic, I think, that he ends up following British practice.

The alliance with the Anbar shaikhs is a house built on sand. The shaikhs accept arms and money today; they attack the Americans tomorrow. There was a precedent a couple of years ago when the Samarra shaikhs did the same (but it was not publicised). There's still ongoing insurgent action at Samarra, nevertheless. As there is indeed at Falluja.

Still, all that Bush wants to do is get through a difficult moment, so it will not matter to him, if the "alliance" collapses.

Alex, Paris, France

Bush chooses safe ground in Iraq? Her Majesty's brave Armee cut and run. Well done. I'm sure Her Majesty and Prince Phillip are very proud.

Allan, Bellevue, WA USA

President Bush keeps repeating a line as if saying it makes it so, namely, that violence is down in Iraq. It's not. An AP accessment as well as Iraqi government agencie's both show the same pattern: violence is down in a few areas (Bagdad being one), but for the country as a whole the death toll has risen over the last two months with August being the second bloodiest this year.

Few doubted that the areas where troops were concentrated would see a reduction in mayhem - it''s already happened for several smaller surges in the past . And what most people also expected was the bad guys would simply move elsewhere and murder in previously quiet regions (well, quiet by Iraq's standards anyway) - this appears to also be happening. If history repeats, once the Americans leave the violence will return like water filling a void. In my opinion nothing so far indicates anything has been accomplished.

Sean Driscoll, Spokane , WA

Wonder why Bush didn't go "walkabout" in downtown Baghdad? He might have been able to judge the true feelings of Iraqis to his country's military occupation - that is if he had survived longer than five minutes.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England