Biden: Don’t expect Bush to withdraw troops

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden (D-Del.), ahead of next week’s testimony of Gen. David Petraeus and Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker before the panel, said on Saturday that he does not expect President Bush to withdraw U.S. troops even when the military surge ends.

The senator stated that Iraq remains “an incredibly dangerous place” and that the level of violence, though reduced, has yet to lead to a political reconciliation among Iraqis.

{mosads}“Despite this reality, the president is expected to announce that when the surge ends, we will not be in a position of drawing down American forces,” Biden said in the Democrats’ weekly radio address. “There could be no clearer acknowledgment from the president himself that the surge has not succeeded in achieving its stated purpose — namely, moving Iraq toward the day it can govern itself, defend itself and sustain itself in peace.”

Petraeus and Crocker will appear before Congress to report on the surge’s progress and whether troops can be withdrawn.

Biden said that Democrats “understand that the war must end,” adding that he believes Bush has “no strategy for success in Iraq,” despite the continued casualties and the cost of the war.

“His plan is to muddle through – and hand the problem off to his successor,” he said.

Bush, in his weekly radio address, praised other NATO countries for inviting Croatia and Albania into their alliance during this week’s NATO summit. The president said he regretted that an invitation to Macedonia was “unfortunately” delayed, as all three countries had troops serving in Afghanistan. Greece had blocked extending the invite to Macedonia.

Bush noted that Albanian and Macedonian forces are also serving in Iraq, “where they’re helping the Iraqi people build a society that rejects terror and lives in freedom.” Albania had about 120 troops there and Macedonia has about 50, according to the coalition's 2007 year-end report.

“These nations have displayed the ultimate devotion to the principle of liberty — sacrificing to provide it for others,” Bush said.

The president added that he was “pleased” that NATO nations had declared that Ukraine and Georgia would later become members. The president had argued for inviting the two countries at the summit, but invitations were delayed after France and Germany had opposed them. They had concerns that inviting the two former Soviet republics would worsen Europe’s relations with Russia.