Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/president-bush-says-u-s-is-winning-in-iraq Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript President Bush said in a press conference that increasing violence in Iraq is upsetting but that the United States must continue in the struggle because it is vital to national security. However, the U.S. is pressuring the Iraqi government to accept more responsibility for its own fate, he said. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. JIM LEHRER: President Bush spoke for more than an hour this morning about the war in Iraq. He did so at a White House news conference, with both policy and the midterm election — now less than two weeks away — on his and the press corps' agenda. We're going to begin with excerpts of what he said and then examine separately the possible policy and the political ramifications.First, the news conference in the East Room of the White House.GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States: As the enemy shifts tactics, we are shifting our tactics, as well. Americans have no intention of taking sides in a sectarian struggle or standing in the crossfire between rival factions.Our mission is to help the elected government in Iraq defeat common enemies, to bring peace and stability to Iraq, and make our nation more secure. Our goals are unchanging; we are flexible in our methods to achieving those goals.I know the American people understand the stakes in Iraq. They want to win. They will support the war as long as they see a path to victory. The consequences in Iraq will have a decisive impact on the security of our country, because defeating the terrorists in Iraq is essential to turning back the cause of extremism in the Middle East.If we do not defeat the terrorists or extremists in Iraq, they will gain access to vast oil reserves, and use Iraq as a base to overthrow moderate governments across the broader Middle East. They will launch new attacks on America from this new safe haven. They will pursue their goal of a radical Islamic empire that stretches from Spain to Indonesia.I know many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq; I'm not satisfied, either. And that is why we're taking new steps to help secure Baghdad, and constantly adjusting our tactics across the country to meet the changing threat.But we cannot allow our dissatisfaction to turn into disillusionment about our purpose in this war. We must not look at every success of the enemy as a mistake on our part, cause for an investigation, or a reason to call for our troops to come home. We must not fall prey to the sophisticated propaganda by the enemy, who is trying to undermine our confidence and make us believe that our presence in Iraq is the cause of all its problems.