Bush predicts victory in long struggle against terrorism

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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (CNN) -- Just as the United States persevered in the long ideological struggles against fascism and communism in the 20th century, President Bush predicted Thursday that the nation eventually will win in Iraq and the fight against terrorism.

In what is the first in a series of new speeches on the fight against terrorism, Bush again emphasized that Iraq is the "central front" in that battle.

Speaking to American Legion members gathered in Salt Lake City, Bush said, "As veterans, you have seen this kind of enemy before. They are successors to fascists, to Nazis, to communists and other totalitarians of the 20th century. And history shows what the outcome will be.

"This war will be difficult, this war will be long, and this war will end in the defeat of the terrorists and totalitarians and a victory for the cause of freedom and liberty."

The president dismissed those who separated the Iraq war from the overall struggle against terrorism. (Watch Bush explain why the U.S. should not withdraw from Iraq -- 2:04)

"Some politicians look at our efforts in Iraq and see a diversion from the war on terror," Bush said. "That would come as news to Osama bin Laden, who proclaimed that the Third World War is raging in Iraq. It would come as news to the No. 2 man of al Qaeda, Zawahiri, who has called the struggle in Iraq, 'the place for the greatest battle.' "

While calling many who have urged a withdrawal from Iraq "patriotic," Bush said an immediate departure would be a "disaster" that would give terrorists a haven in which to operate.

"If we give up the fight in the streets of Baghdad, we will face the terrorists in the streets of our own cities," he said.

"The security of the civilized world depends on victory in the war on terror and that depends on victory in Iraq. So the United States of America will not leave until victory is achieved."

Public disenchantment with war

The public, however, is increasing skeptical of the president's argument that Iraq is part of the overall war on terror. A majority of Americans, according to a CNN poll conducted August 18-20, seem to have separate opinions about the war in Iraq and terrorism. More than half (52 percent) said the war in Iraq is a distraction from efforts against terrorists who want to attack targets inside the United States.

The CNN poll, which was conducted by Opinion Research Corp., found that support for the war in Iraq had fallen to 35 percent, with 61 percent opposed, a record low. Thirty-two percent said the war had made the world safer from terrorism, while 59 percent said it had not. (Opposition to war at all-time high)

The survey had a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Democrats also disputed Bush's claim that the Iraq war is essential to the fight against terrorism.

"The American people know that five years after September 11th, we are not as safe as we should and could be," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid told the Associated Press.

"Iraq is in crisis, our military is stretched thin, and terrorist groups and extremist regimes have been strengthened and emboldened across the Middle East and the world," he said.

Bush: Iran must fast consequences

During his speech to the veterans convention, Bush also tied the showdown with Iran over its nuclear program to the fight against terrorism, insisting that "there must be consequences" for Tehran's defiance of demands that it stop enriching uranium.

The nuclear watchdog agency for the United Nations issued a report Thursday saying Iran has not suspended its uranium enrichment activities. The International Atomic Energy Agency report opens the way for possible U.N. Security Council sanctions against the country. (Full story)

"The Iranian regime arms, funds and advises Hezbollah, which has killed more Americans than any terrorist network except al Qaeda," Bush said. "The Iranian regime interferes in Iraq by sponsoring terrorists and insurgents, empowering unlawful militias and supplying components for improvised explosive devices.

"It is time for Iran to make a choice. We've made our choice. We will continue to work closely with our allies to find a diplomatic solution, but there must be consequences for Iran's defiance, and we must not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon."

Putting violence into context

Bush's speeches on Iraq and terrorism are slated to run through a September 19 address before the U.N. General Assembly, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said this week.

The series, Perino said, "will put the violence that Americans are seeing on their TV screens and reading in their papers into a larger context."

"He will acknowledge that these are unsettling times in Iraq, in Lebanon, and also the unsettling news about the foiled terror plot out of London," she said. "The key is that all of this violence and all of the threats are part of one single ideological struggle, a struggle between the forces of freedom and moderation, and the forces of tyranny and extremism."

This will be Bush's third major speaking campaign aimed at bolstering support for the war in Iraq. Though his latest effort starts less than three months before November's congressional elections, Bush has said his speeches won't be "political."

"They're speeches to make it clear that if we retreat before the job is done this nation will become even more in jeopardy," he said at a campaign stop Wednesday for a Republican candidate in Arkansas. "These are important times, and I would seriously hope people would not politicize these issues that I'm going to talk about."

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