Oleg you are just spewing ridiculous left-wing propaganda. What is it with you Canadians anyways? Our military is taking a stand in the heart of the Arab world, which I believe is an appropriate response to massive Muslim immigration to the West and the subsequent campaign of terror.

And Iran hasn't "won" anything. It's an oppressive theocracy that cannot last forever. We need to all stand against the Mullahs and their awful revolution. In the meantime, we have to worry about radical Islamists using the naive Canadians as a spring board for attacks against America. America poses no threat to Canada and never will.

Tim, West Lafayette, USA/IN

if the US is committed to fighting tyrants around the world, and spreading democracy, why haven't you invaded Saudi Arabia?

Colin, Hong Kong,

Those who support Bush are clearly delusional. How many Iraqis have to suffer and die for them to understand that? You and your president live in the world of fantasy, but it will soon end. US will get out of Iraq. Iran has won this war. Get used to it!
"With that said say you say your neighbor being robbed, beaten and raped and you have the ability to step in and stop this madness."
Who is that mysterious neighbor? Quwait? Since when Middle East became US neighborhood? US went to Iraq for oil, so did UK. Your earlear success in the first war made you dizzy, you starved Iraqis for another 10 years and you thought it will be a cake-walk. Well reality bites, and now it's Iran who is laughing at you. Iranian president visited Bagdad like it was his home, and Bush has to sneak in to Iraq like a thief, un-annonced and stealthy. So who is the winner? Bush can say whatever he wants, no one listens to him anyways! He became a laughing stock for the world so did the USA. Welcome to reality!

Oleg, Toronto, Canada

"Saddam himself was responsible for close to 2 million deaths during his reign."

Oh, that's alright then. It doesn't matter the US and its helpers killed some more then.

Sigh.

starling, Lancaster,

I have served in the military for 21 years and we will be the first to say we don't want war. With that said say you say your neighbor being robbed, beaten and raped and you have the ability to step in and stop this madness. What should you do? Most people (countries) will say its not my problem... maybe my neighbor did something to deserve this! What is going on in the world today with nations turning their backs to those in plight is a disgrace. The UN is worthless as well as spineless. The UK and the US have shown the world that we can't just let this go on forever.

James, Columbia, US

well, you guys voted for him.
twice.
well, at least the second time around.

KW, QLD, Australia

"In a bullish speech at the Pentagon"

Was that a spelling mistake?

I don't mind a robust condemnation of Muslim terrorism, even more than that a condemnation of the ideology on which it's based and how it's embedded in society where Islam has exported to.

Texas boy is just not doing a good job on this primitive threat to the civilised world.

Joe, Manchester,

"George Bush is correct so are 65% americans who say that US forces should not pull out of iraq till peace is restored!" -- Ethan, london, uk

Not according to the latest poll: "March 18, 2008"

"Today 29 percent of Americans say the results of the war were worth it; 64 percent say they were not" -- cbsnews

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/18/iraq/main3946663.shtml

Mohammed, London, UK

Saddam himself was responsible for close to 2 million deaths during his reign. Do the research yourself. The US did not create terrorist. You have 1st century attitudes with 21st century weaponry. You can't just ignore it. I don't know why so much of the "Civilized" world wants to be against the "West". "The west are the bad guys" Are you all crazy, or just too bored to care? Terrorist have nothing to live for whatsoever. They are dirt poor because of dictators in their own countries, and are hired, or recruited by extremely wealthy Muslims to wage a war in the West. Why....So they can run the world. That is why. It's not as much a religious thing as you think. If it were, then why aren't all these leaders on the suicide missions? Propaganda is being used and the "civilized" idiots are believing it. Look around and study the situation. It doesn't take too much effort to see this. Apparently too much though. Let's just believe who screams the loudest. It's not Rich vs POOR.

John, Browns Summit, United States

Ranting lefties who say "Iraq is the new Vietnam" couldn't be more correct, though they don't know it themselves.

The Vietnam War was a proxy war between 2 superpowers (USA/USSR) on quasi-neutral territory over ideology.

The Iraq War is a proxy war between a superpower (USA) and a Cult of Destruction (Islamic Fascism) on quasi-neutral territory, not of ideology, but of reality vs. death-fantasy.

It is a just war, and an important one. To retreat or capitulate is to say that we are happy to accept a system that rewards suicide-murder, rape, polygamy, and violence with eternal paradise.

Given the choice between errors of judgment by a fool (Bush) in charge of a huge army fighting to defend a way of life that is fundamentally secular and based on objective (as opposed to relative) ethics, and a carnage-circus based on a fantasy from ±600AD called Allah, it's a no-brainer.

A mistake by lack of knowledge is forgivable, a mistake by lack of morals is not.

Peter K, London, UK

I think Bush, in his crazy crusader mind, means that he thinks the world is a better place since the Iraq war because he got to kill some Muslims and support his country's military-industrial-complex. So yeh, in his insane view the world IS a better place.

Andrew Nyazai, Godalming, UK

I have little time for Mr. Bush, and Iraq was handled disastrously at the beginning. But he's right (or, rather, the people who write his speeches are right) on many counts: Iraq has improved, and pulling troops out now would almost certainly provoke a greater catastrophe. People need to get over the arguments from five years ago and focus on what needs to be done now.

David Pritchard, Madrid, Spain

I don't understand how president has taken off his attention from Bin Laden, who is still walking somewhere?! Unless He is captured, victory should not be claimed by president Bush. There is no sign of any correlation between Bin Laden and Iraq war, yet he keeps claiming his victory over extremism and terrorism.

Shailesh, Edinburgh,

Bush allowed 14 UN resolutions to go by before invading Iraq with intelligence provided by the Clinton Administration (Al Gore told Congress about WMD's before Bush was elected, remember?) . From day 1 the media have undermined the war. Day 1 (2 combat casualties) was called "bloody Sunday". Bush was CONDEMNED for "waiting too long" because the army would be "engulfed by sandstorms" (remember those videos?) Reporters predicted a nuclear response if our troops approached Baghdad. Reporters went through my son's brigade asking soldiers if they knew what their girlfriends and wives were doing back home (i.e. infidelity) and asking for "dear John" letter recipients to appear on camera. Every day something negative has been reported as the media, praying for an American defeat, has pummeled the public with a barrage of distortions and lies worthy of "Baghdad Bob." Do any of you critics ever wonder why the military voted overwhelmingly for Bush rather than "cut and run Kerry"?

marc Christophe , fort myers, usa/florida

How dare he say the world is abetter place.I have lost 7 members of my relatives in baghdad.Some of them fled to syria and at the moment the y are in abad situation.Its still not safe to go back also there is still ashortage of water and electricity.They are running out of money.The syrain coverment not making there situation easy by threatening them with deportaion.the children are suffering terribly.I still have many more family and relatives living in baghdad,being asunni not so easy to get ajob.NOW WHATS ALL THIS ABOUT THE WORLD IS ABETTER PLACE.Maybe for MR BUSH so he can get hold of the oil in IRAQ.AND FOR FREE.

B-Rashad, surrey, uk

This is just more evidence that Bush is totally mad and living in a fantasy world of his own making.

Charlie Stauffer, Niagara Falls, USA / New York

The problem is not the war, the problem is the wrong president invaded Iraq. Bill Clinton committed US forces to a civil war in the Balkans and not one dumbass Democrap says a word about it. Al Gore, not GW, first told Congress that Saddam had WMD's, but the media ignores it. From day one the media have twisted the news to enflame anti-Bush sentiment. Remember day1? NBC said we "blundered by waiting too long to invade" and all our soldiers were going to get trapped in a sandstorm (they even had video). Every day positive news has been buried and anti-war propaganda has been force fed, even to the point of declaring that we "lost". Someone ought to compare our performance in Iraq to a single day's casualties (and military blunders) in WWII. (By the way, Dems, Germany did not bomb Pearl harbor, so maybe we should have ignored Hitler and focused on Japan? )
I am sick of leftist propaganda from dogs who sit in the safety of the manger provided by the USA. God Bless the troops.

Marc Christophe , fort myers, usa/florida

The man's a nutcase, It's just like knocking down a hornets nest and saying thats fixed them. If USA is safer then why all the super-security and the resulting costs and inconveniencies. The UK is now vulnerable and having to pay the high cost of Blair and the British Goverments decision to go to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The sum I have not seen produced yet. The money however could be put to much better use.

Dave Madley, Alicante, Spain

US Armed Forces can't move out of Iraq now because if they do that then terrorists will reinforce and attack US putting the world economy in another turmoil.

George Bush is correct so are 65% americans who say that US forces should not pull out of iraq till peace is restored!

Ethan, london, uk

The World, and especially the USA, is infinitely worse off because of George W. Bush. He will always be known as "America's Shame."

Garth Strong, San Diego, USA

The man is an ill-educated moron. He is a warmonger who is out of touch with reality. He invaded Iraq for what? 90 % of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudi Arabian!, but as Bush has had previous working relationships with the oil-rich leaders he didn't think that would be a good idea even though Saudi Arabia has a terrible human rights record and is a haven for Al-Queda. There were never any Al-Queda or militias in Iraq during Saddam regime even if they were they would have been crushed. He was a tyrant guaranteed but at least he was the only tyrant now they have numerous warlords trying to gain control of the country. It is good to read some of the US views despite the propoganda they put on TV over there. There was documentary called Hidden Iraq last night here on TV which that idiot Bush needs to watch if he thinks the world is safer. there were 5,000 insurgents in that country 5 years ago and now there are 70,000 well done George sleep well.

jon, lANCASHIRE, UK

absoluty shocking that Bush can make such fanciful claims, while he is wasting our financial and human resourceses on a war that is worsening our security situation crerating a domestic terrorist threat. china and Russia must be very pleased.

jorma baines, totnes, uk

the world is safer?? was that a statement or a joke!!?
How on earth did he come to this ridiculous conclusion? Will he ever say anything with a meaning in his life or that is wishful thinking?

heath, CAIRO, EGYPT

Dear God. Up to 1.2 million civilians killed. A price worth paying? Outrageous and sick. And where is Blair's justification today?

Ricky, Bakewell, UK

The world is certainly better for all his chums in the defence and construction industries who have benefited from the war and the billions of US dollars thrown at it - much of which seems to have vanished into various pockets.

As for the ordinary citizen of Planet Earth ... I'm not so sure.

Chris K, Cheltenham, UK

Mr. Bush will have to answer to God for calling an unjustified war and causing thousands of unecessary deaths. He will be judged severely.

Yvonne Garibay, El Paso, Texas

Just a simple question: "Is GW Bush living on the same planet as the rest of us ?"

Adam Murza, Croydon, UK

Our American president George W. has almost equaled his idiotic comments after the Iraq invasion that it was "Mission Accomplished," with his newest fantasy riff that he was a "little envious" of the US marines & soldiers fighting and if he were younger..."I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines..." What fantasy rubbish!
These Presidential comments come from a stateside reservist during the Vietnam war (a posting he sought to avoid the fight overseas) that ran away from and couldn't even finish his safe stateside sinecure but left early for an even safer political campaign in Texas.
A sad, empty suit is 'Bush lite' who has been manipulated by a oil man turned vice president and
who had a string of failures in all his ventures except those when he rented out his name for profit.

May inauguration day, January 20, 2009 please come soon and replace this national disgrace we call President.

Bill O'Donnell, Boston, MA (USA)

The man is delusional.

Stan Pierce, West Hurley, NY

Is the "monkey faced" picture of Lil Bush on this story a sort of commentary by the author and/or staff. This war is a disaster of epic proportions. Cheney is lucky he didn't get blown up this week while touring the "great success" of the Iraqi Greenzone. The better headline for this article would be something related to Bush trying to salvage his "legacy" by making ridiculous claims prior to leaving office.

Phil Hickup, San Francisco, CA

Idiot.

Farrukh, Woking, UK

“The answers are clear to me: Removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision, and this is a fight America can and must win."

Really? What brilliant bit of ratiocination did you use to come up with this answer? Wouldn't it have been better to have been able to demonstrate conclusively--or even inconclusively--that our "enemies" were in Iraq; that we were making a sound strategic decision to abandon Afghanistan; that it was a defensible tactic to occupy a large territory with an under-sized force; that we would reap economic benefit; that the "war" would "pay for itself?"

Nothing but the same, old, tired saw that Al Qaeda was in Iraq--no, wait, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction--no, wait, that leaving Iraq will embolden our enemies--no, wait, that if we don't fight them there we'll "fight them here"--and so on, with shills from the despicable Powell to the incomprehensibly perfidious Lieberman all lined up to sell us one bill of goods after another.

Maarten Dillon, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, USA

Get the Americans out of Iraq!

Free Iraq!

Jeff Minter, Manchester,

I live in the UK, and I have never worote to the Queen of England in my life, before Tony Blair decided to go towar with Bush, I did something I had never done in my life I worte to the Queen to beg Blair not to do this because the price would be too great in the long term. I got a responce but not the responce I hoped. I knew from the word go this war was the war that would destroy the western world, from oil prices to the American economy bringing down the rest of the world to its knees, it will bring Faminme & Desease in its wake, it would destroy the first world civilization, and as the Bible said as it was in the begining so shall it be in the end, when I saw America doing to Iraqi People whay happend to the Jews in the old days I knew the war that is spoken of in the Book of Daniel, and spoken in Matthew, and spoken of in Revelation is the last war, that will spread world wide. Bird flu will break out in a matter of months not years and that is only around the corner.

Daphne Kenward, Cambridge, UK

Seriously, Bush has lost the plot, good to see the American people are opening their eyes to this relentless propoganda.

Paul, oxwayne,

I don't see the evidence of success..........do you ?

john bear, village, ak

4th Paragraph "Yet the President's optimism over the invasion was in stark contrast to many in America today".
America's opinion is based on what we see on TV & read. Throughout this article one can't help but notice the resentment of the editor toward the subject & President Bush. President Bush is one of the worst public speaker I've ever heard which compounds the problem. I don't think we'll know who's right for a long time to come.

Dozens of protesters - why even give these wackos any publicity.

"No blood for Oil!" - Do these people really think this was even a secondary motive? We will never recover our financial losses.

Brian Shaw, Murfreesboro, TN

Bush claimed victory by the the infamous 'mission accomplished', claimed another victory when the general election was held, claimed additional victory when Saddam's was killed, and claimed extra victory when Saddam himself was captured and executed. Yet, the total number of sacrificed American soldiers keeps increasing, human bombs continue to explode, American dollars are burning at an even faster pace in Iraqi, American economy only show signs of tanking, and most importantly, Bin Laden is still laughing at and mocking him like no others in the world. His victory brought us record high gas price and national budget deficit. Americans got tight pockets, and America lost it credibility in the world. With his job rating stays in ~30%, Bush's victorious claim makes me think either he is mentally retarded or the majority of American people are blind. The choice is obvious.

henry teng, Washington, DC, usa

"Bullish" speech? Another word comes to mind here!

I can't imagine who would be idiotic enough to still support this guy.

According to our Constitution, our military is for defending the USA, not for regime changes.

Then again, I think most of us know how Bush regards the Constitution. And it's not just Republicans either...Democrats are just as guilty.

Alexandra, Wooster, Ohio

Get the job DONE!

RTD, Parker, CO

GWB Must have overdosed on the good old apple pie.

phil the roman, northampton, England

Although I am opposed to the war in principle, it is now starting to have its effects and statistics show the improvement in safety and optimisim. In years down the line, Iraq will becomme stable and democratic and Blair should get credit for this.

T Jarvis, Southend-On-Sea,

What a duffer...world is safer ? The world hates us more than ever. Our allies refuesd to and are refusing to side with us, more people have died in Iraq than all those killed by Saddam and those that would have been killed had Saddam ruled for another 2 life times,Economy is in shambles...blah blah and the list goes on. But from the president's perspective, may be he is right...Oil price is over 100$ a barrell and oil companies are making a record profit. Remember he was a Texas oil man and he is a part of the Carlyle group. They bust be doing really well. Yes, Bush's world is definitely a better place. I can't wait for him to disappear!!

Saggi, New York, USA

How did his pet Tony get on as a special peace envoy in the Middle East then?

It would appear he was as successful there as he was while in the UK. Let's hope he stays in the US. There's a match made in heaven.....

Ian A, Harpenden, England

Merkel says she is very ashamed of the Holocaust. She will say that she is very unashamed of the Iraq war, as does Bush.

Syed Azmathullah Khaderi, Khobar,

It beggars belief what this incompetent, moron will come up with next. In what world is Bush living - certainly not the same world as me. I guess he thinks that if he says that invasion of Iraq was a success often enough everyone will believe him irrespective of what is actually happening on the ground.
The invasion has been an unmitigated disaster of the same order as Vietnam for all concerned. Based on Blair’s lies and deceit, incompetence at all levels and an overwhelming greed to control oil supplies it has left a legacy of hatred of Americans and British, civil conflict in Iraq and tens of thousands of innocent people killed.
Bush and Blair should be put on trial for war-crimes.

Oxford Don, oxford, uk

I'm having a hard time trying to understand the col
ossal hubris of our 'decider-in-chief'.
I mean, wouldn't You figger-out, after 5 years, that
'it ain't working' and think about a better way to try
to take the Arab's oil ??
Hence, my decision to support Obama. I Don't
want 4 more years of this totally Wrong action.

John Bonnet, Austin, Texas

The ability of this man and his die-hard supporters to rationalize is stunning. Sadly, Mr McCain seems to have the same incapacity to recognise the grevious fundemental error even as he recognized the errors of execution. Yes, we have a huge responsibility to try to salvage something from the disaster we started in Iraq, but if leaders cannot see why they were wrong in starting one pre-emptive war, what is to keep them from starting more?

Steve Savage, Encinitas, CA

A better place - what a travesty.
Thousands dead, a whole country's infrastructure destroyed and Islamic terrorism enjoying a recruitment boom on the back of the USofAs brutal militarism. The reputation of the "Land of the Free" now in well-deserved tatters.
And that's a good day ?

Sean, Coventry, UK

I am ashamed to be an American with George Bush as my president.

MJ Schaffer, Silverton, Oregon,

I cannot believe this man. I am so ashamed to have him as president and what he's allowed to be done to this country. Shame, shame!

Alta V. Gardner, Petaluma, CA

Bush must be talking about some other war. I curse the day he walked through the doors of the White House.

Sara , Sherwood, ND

bullish?

dinsdale, washington,

How does this man sleep at night?

Sherry , Hampstead, London

Does Bush live in a fanasy world or what? The world is better? Would that be America which is on the edge of a depression, Iraq with its 4 million refugees and hundreds of thousands dead or rotting in prosons without trials, nearly universal hatred for teh U.S. government, New Orleans? Oh, and right, it's "romantic" to be fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Only someone who lives in a bubble could make such a declaration. But my favorite Bushism this week (being a Vietnam veteran) has to be his statement that if he were younger he's be tempted to join that romantic adventure in Afghanistan. He had that opportunity when he was younger and was all about cheerleading, not fighting. I cannot wait until he disappears.

Mark McVay, Denver , CO

President Bush iives in a dream world. Neither the world nor the US is safer for his having called for the invasion of Iraq. Pres. Bush has almost abandoned Afghanistan, allowing the Taliban to return, has ignored the real problem country, which is Saudi Arabia, and has not adequately provided for the ill gotten war that he started in Iraq. He doesn't "support the troops," except to give them lip service, and he spreads fear and terror across our own country. I don't understand why our president hates our own freedom and democracy so much.

Louise Giacoppe, Huntington Beach, California