National Strategy for Victory in Iraq

The National Strategy for Victory in Iraq Report by the National Security Council, dated November 2005, was released by the White House on November 30, 2005.

"Failure in Iraq will embolden terrorists and expand their reach; success in Iraq will deal them a decisive and crippling blow."

From the White House

• "Statement on Victory in Iraq, Prevailing in the War on Terrorism," by Press Secretary Scott McClellan, November 19, 2005.
• "President Tours Border, Discusses Immigration Reform in Texas," El Paso Sector, El Paso, Texas, November 29, 2005. Scroll down to Q&A section.
• News Release: "Fact Sheet: Training Iraqi Security Forces," Office of the White House Press Secretary, November 30, 2005.
• Transcript: "President Bush's Speech on the War on Terrorism" Delivered at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, November 30, 2005. Posted by Washington Post; Courtesy FDCH/e-Media.
• President Discusses Iraqi Elections, Victory in the War on Terror, The Woodrow Wilson Center, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, DC, December 14, 2005.

"Strategy" written by "pollster"

President Bush's "victory" speech was written by Dr. Peter D. Feaver, "a 43-year-old Duke University political scientist who joined the National Security Council staff as a special adviser in June [2005]," according to Scott Shane in the Sunday New York Times. "White House officials, while saying the document contained contributions from many federal departments, confirmed, according to the Times, that 'its creation and presentation strongly reflected the public opinion research' of Dr. Feaver," Editor & Publisher reported December 3, 2005.

"Feaver, the Times' Scott Shane writes, 'was recruited after he and Duke [University] colleagues presented to [Bush] administration officials their analysis of polls about the Iraq war in 2003 and 2004. They concluded that Americans would support a war with mounting casualties on one condition: that they believe it would ultimately succeed," Editor & Publisher wrote.

Related Links: Articles & Commentary

• "Memo to the Community on Iraq. To: Interested Parties. From: Brian Katulis. Re: Five Questions for President Bush’s Speech in Annapolis," Center for American Progress, November 29, 2005.
• Steven C. Clemons, "White House Releases New 'Iraq National Strategy' Report," The Washington Note, November 30, 2005.
• "Rapid Response: Deconstructing the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq," Think Progress, November 30, 2005.
• Judd Legum, Faiz Shakir, Nico Pitney, Amanda Terkel and Payson Schwin, "A Public Relations Pitch Masquerading As A Strategy," Progress Report, November 30, 2005.
• David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt, "Bush to Outline Broad Iraq Plan; Push on Training," New York Times, November 30, 2005.
• Michael A. Fletcher and Bradley Graham, "Bush Cites Need to Secure Victory in Iraq," Washington Post, November 30, 2005.
• Tabassum Zacaria, "White House sees years of Iraq violence," Reuters, November 30, 2005.
• Deb Reichman, "Bush urges patience with Iraq training," Associated Press (Boston Globe), November 30, 2005.
• "Bush outlines Iraq 'victory plan'," BBC, November 30, 2005.
• Paul Reynolds, "Exiting Iraq: Strategies for Bush," BBC, November 30, 2005.
• Billmon, "A Strategy for Victory," Whiskey Bar, November 30, 2005.
• Daneila Deane "Bush Unveils New Iraq Strategy," Washington Post, November 30, 2005.
• Mike Allen, "How Bush Plans to Get Out of Iraq. Stung by criticism, the President is putting out a strategy for victory. Will it work?" Time, November 30, 2005.
• "Bush: U.S. to stay in Iraq till war is won. President does not set timetable for withdrawal of troops," CNN, November 30, 2005.
• Ezra Klein, "The Plan Is Dead. Long Live the Plan!" Tapped, November 30, 2005.
• Matthew Rothschild, "Bush’s Bloody Strategy for Victory," Progressive (Common Dreams), November 30, 2005.
• Fred Kaplan, "The Good News—Bush Finally Has a Plan. The bad news—it's an ill-defined muddle," Slate, November 30, 2005.
• "Press sceptical about Bush speech," BBC, December 1, 2005.
• Robert Dreyfuss, "What 'staying the course' really means," Asia Times, December 1, 2005.
• Robert Parry, "Bush in Iraq, Slouching Toward Genocide," Consortium News, December 1, 2005.
• Yochi J. Dreazen and John D. McKinnon, "Bush Acknowledges Difficulties in Iraq. Speech Offers No Timeline For U.S. Exit, Focuses on Effort To Rebuild Mideast Nation's Army," Wall Street Journal, December 1, 2005.
• Judd, "Embedded TIME Reporter: Bush Lied In Speech Yesterday About Iraqi Security Forces," Think Progress, December 1, 2005. QT link for CNN appearance by Sen. John Warner (R-VA) on Anderson Cooper.
• "Poll: Most doubt Bush has plan for Iraq victory," CNN, December 1, 2005.
• Peter Baker, "An Offering of Detail But No New Substance," Washington Post, December 1, 2005.
• Editorial: "Plan: We Win," New York Times, December 1, 2005.
• Tyler Marshall and Mark Mazzetti, "Bush Is Now in Step With His Generals," Los Angeles Times, December 1, 2005.
• Matt Kelley, Steven Komarow and Jim Drinkard, "Optimism and other assessments at odds," USA Today, December 1, 2005.
• "Victory in Iraq or Victory in the Polls? How Bush Caught 'Feaver' in Big Iraq Speech," Editor & Publisher, December 3, 2005.
• Scott Shane, "Bush's Speech on Iraq War Echoes Voice of an Analyst," New York Times, December 4, 2005.
• Sally Buzbee, "AP Scoop: Iraq VP Disputes Bush on Training of Forces," Associated Press (Editor & Publisher), December 5, 2005.
• Wesley Kanne Clark, Op-Ed: "The Next Iraq Offensive," New York Times, December 6, 2005.
• Brian Katulis, "Bush’s Iraq PR Campaign Falling Flat," Think Progress, December 8, 2005.

Background: Bush's "Victory in Iraq"

2002

• Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman, "The Bush Victory In Iraq," Common Dreams, September 20, 2002.

2003

• Sara Fritz, "Victory in Iraq may be tough to gauge," St. Petersburg Times, February 17, 2003: "President Bush has vowed to push until Saddam Hussein is ousted. Will anything less be considered defeat?"
• "Bush promises 'decisive force' and victory in Iraq," IranMania, March 23, 2003.
• "Bush: 'Our victory over Iraq is certain'," Associated Press (USA Today) April 15, 2003.
• Chad Z. Hower, "Bush Must Not Let Victory Go To His Head," St. Petersburg Times, April 15, 2003.
• Sean Loughlin, "Bush speech to avoid declaration of victory in Iraq. Remarks to tout military success, but cite work ahead," CNN, May 1, 2003.
• "Bush declares victory in Iraq," BBC, May 2, 2003: "US President George W Bush has said the US has prevailed in the Battle of Iraq in a speech on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln."
• "Bush Says U.S. Will Do What Is Necessary to Win Victory in Iraq. U.S. committed to expanding international cooperation on Iraq, he says," Department of State, September 7, 2003.

2004

• Robert Novak, "No victory in Iraq," Townhall.com, October 7, 2004.

2005

• "Bush: 'Nothing less than victory' in Iraq. On radio, president says pulling troops out now is not an option," Associated Press (MSNBC), June 18, 2005.
• "Bush Calls a Victory in Iraq 'Vital'," UPI (WOAI San Antonio News), June 18, 2005.
• "What Makes Bush Upbeat about a US Victory in Iraq?" DEBKAfile, June 28, 2005.
• Tom Regan, "Reality Check for Bush Administration in Iraq," Christian Science Monitor (TruthOut), August 15, 2005: "White House wants to lower expectations about model democracy, US military victory in Iraq."
• Gerry J. Gilmore, "Bush: U.S. Seeks 'Total Victory' Over Terrorists," American Forces Press Service, August 22, 2005.
• Gerry J. Gilmore, "Bush Describes Strategy for Victory in Iraq," American Forces Press Service, October 1, 2005.
• "Bush insists U.S. will fight for 'complete victory' in Iraq," Associated Press (USA Today), November 11, 2005.
• Petty Officer 3rd Class John R. Guardiano, USN, "Bush Vows America to Fight in Iraq Until Victory Secured," Department of Defense, November 19, 2005.
• "Bush: No Iraq pullout without victory. Democratic senator urges president to give 'unvarnished' picture," CNN, November 29, 2005.
• Donna Miles, "Bush: Clear Strategy Will Ensure Victory in Iraq," American Forces Press Service, November 30, 2005.
• Michael A. Fletcher and Bradley Graham, "Bush Cites Need to Secure Victory in Iraq," Washington Post, November 30, 2005.

Related SourceWatch Resources

• adapting to win
• Bush administration talking points on Iraq
• Bush's Speech, June 28, 2005
• Call for the U.S. to Pullout from Iraq
• coalition of the willing: beginning of the end
• Downing Street documents
• Exit Strategy from Iraq / Exit Strategy from Iraq: External Links
• failure in Iraq
• global struggle against violent extremism
• Iraq Study Group
• Iraqi sovereignty: Exit Strategy from Iraq
• Iraqi unified resistance
• Is the Iraq mission a failure?
• John P. Murtha
• New Iraq
• Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Three: Quagmire
• Post-war Iraq
• preemptive war/invasion of Iraq/war in Iraq
• stay the course
• The case for impeachment of President George W. Bush
• war propaganda