Obama may call Bush before Iraq speech

President Obama will likely phone his predecessor, President George W. Bush, before delivering his speech Tuesday on the Iraq war. 

Obama will visit troops in Fort Bliss, Texas, which is in Bush’s home
state, before returning to Washington to deliver his address from the
Oval Office in the evening.

{mosads}White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged their divergent
views on the Iraq war during the daily press briefing Monday, but said
“I don’t believe there are plans to see him, but my sense is, it will be
one of the calls he makes tomorrow.”

Obama also spoke with Bush before his Feb. 2009 speech that set the withdrawal date for combat troops.

Gibbs said Obama will not utter the words “mission accomplished,” as Bush declared in 2003, and will stress during his speech that there is more work to be done in Iraq despite the end of combat phase of the war.

Asked how the White House plans to avoid Obama’s speech being interpreted as a “mission accomplished moment,” Gibbs responded, “Well, look, first and foremost, you know, you won’t hear those words coming from us.

“That is not to say that violence is going to end tomorrow. We understand that those who would foment violence will still continue to try to do so,” he said. “I do think it is important to remember, as you said, this is a commitment that the president made, and a commitment that he intends — and will keep.”

Gibbs reiterated Obama would not have not have invaded Iraq in 2003, but refused to say whether or not affairs would be better or worse off if the U.S. had not invaded the country under Bush.