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About this quote

What does it mean?
Describes the adversary in Iraq as a mix of extremists aiming to drive the US out before the job is done.
In plain terms
Enemies want to kick us out of Iraq before we finish.
What can you take from it?
Identify the enemy's goal to stay the course.

Where it applies

  • war briefings
  • policy defense
  • strategy meetings

Putting it to work

  • motivate persistence
  • define enemy objectives

Questions to consider

  • How is a political goal defined?
  • What does finishing the job mean?

Another view

It presents a binary view of the conflict that may ignore political nuances.

More from George W. Bush

  1. ...I believe that we're going to win; I believe that -- and by the way, if I didn't think that, I wouldn't have our troops there. That's what you got to know. …

    Permalink to quote #233
  2. You know, I think an interesting construct that General [Peter] Pace uses is, 'We're not winning, we're not losing.'

    Permalink to quote #232
  3. The best way to defeat the totalitarian of hate is with an ideology of hope- an ideology of hate- excuse me- with an ideology of hope.

    Permalink to quote #236

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