War without end?

October 7, 2005

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Thu, 6 Oct 2005 23:14:30 -0700 (PDT)

War without end?

DTL

Cheney Calls Terror Fight Decades-Long

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

10-05) 11:23 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The United States must be prepared to fight the war on terror for

decades to bring peace to Iraq and the rest of the Middle East, Vice

President Dick Cheney said Wednesday.

" Like other great duties in history, it will require decades of

patient effort, and it will be resisted by those whose only hope for

power is through the spread of violence, " said Cheney. " As the people

of that region experience new hope, progress, and control over their

own destiny, we will see the power of freedom to change our world and

a terrible threat will be removed. "

Cheney did not specify how long he believes U.S. troops will have to

stay in Iraq, just as other administration officials have avoided

providing a timetable. Some military commanders have expressed hopes

that substantial American withdrawals could begin next spring or

summer, though they have edged away from such comments in recent days.

Speaking to the Association of the U.S. Army, Cheney joined the chorus

of Bush administration officials — including the president — who have

tried in recent days to bolster an American public that has grown

increasingly weary of the war in Iraq. He told the audience filled

with military members that the only way terrorists can win is if the

United States " lost our nerve and abandoned our mission. "

He also echoed Bush administration assertions that Iraqi security

forces are growing, and are increasingly able to take charge. His

comments come just a week after the top commander in Iraq told

Congress that the number of Iraqi army battalions capable of fighting

without U.S. help had dropped from three to one.

" One of the challenges we faced was that after clearing out

terrorists, there weren't always enough trained Iraqi forces to retain

control, " Cheney said. Now, he said, Iraqi forces control more parts

of the country than at any time in the past two years.

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