Not So Random Boldness

U.S. Wants to Leave Iraq "with Honor, " Cheney Says

Published: February 21, 2007 by the New York Times. My emphasis.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney said on Wednesday the United States wants to finish its mission in Iraq and ``return with honor,'' despite the war's growing unpopularity at home and doubts among U.S. allies.

Cheney's visit to Tokyo comes just weeks after Japan's defense minister said starting the Iraq war was a mistake and its foreign minister called the U.S. occupation strategy ''immature.''

The remarks forced Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whom Cheney meets later on Wednesday, to scurry to reassure Washington that Tokyo's backing for U.S. policy in Iraq was unchanged.

But a survey released on Tuesday showed most Japanese voters agreed with Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma when he said President Bush was wrong to start the war.

``We know that terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength, they are invited by the perception of weakness,'' Cheney said in a speech aboard the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier at Yokosuka Navy Base near Tokyo.

``We know that if we leave Iraq before the mission is completed, the enemy is going to come after us. And I want you to know that the American people will not support a policy of retreat,'' he added, as U.S. military personnel applauded.

``We want to complete the mission, we want to get it done right, and we want to return with honor,'' said Cheney, who heads on Thursday for Australia to meet Prime Minister John Howard, another staunch supporter of Bush's Iraq policy.

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Åpne dører

USAs ambassadør Benson Whitney har stukket innom på Niels Treschows hus for å forsikre oss Noram -studenter om at det ikke gjør noen politisk forskjell hvem som blir valgt som ny president i USA. Jeg er litt i stuss - hvem var det som trodde det?