Bush Is Firm In Tampa Visit

By RICHARD LARDNER and WILLIAM MARCH The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 2, 2007

TAMPA - Hours before vetoing legislation mandating the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, President Bush warned that an early exit would turn the battle-scarred nation into a "cauldron of chaos" and urged members of the U.S.-led coalition to stay on the offense against al-Qaida.

Bush's remarks were delivered to an enthusiastic and largely military audience at MacDill Air Force Base. Outside the base's gates, however, a small group of protesters gathered and served as a reminder of how unpopular the war has become.

The president's visit Tuesday coincided with a series of planned meetings at U.S. Central Command hosted by Centcom chief Adm. William Fallon and Army Gen. David Petraeus, the senior U.S. officer in Iraq.

Coalition representatives from dozens of countries filled the main auditorium at MacDill's Benjamin O. Davis Conference Center as Bush delivered a sometimes sobering assessment of the situation in Iraq.

He acknowledged that the "terrorists and the extremists continue to unleash horrific acts of violence" in Iraq. These attacks are largely fueled by al-Qaida, which has made Iraq the main battleground in its "global campaign" to implement a radical Islamic ideology.

"And that's why success in Iraq is critical to the security of free people everywhere," Bush said. "Failure in Iraq should be unacceptable to the civilized world. The risks are enormous."

During his speech at MacDill, Bush made no mention of the withdrawal legislation written by congressional Democrats. Instead, he said his plan to surge U.S. troops into Baghdad to help quell the violence there is showing "some signs that give us hope."

But echoing Petraeus' cautious assessment last week, Bush said the strategy is in the early stages, and it will be several months before its impact can be properly judged.

Speaking with reporters a few hours after Bush's speech, Petraeus said he and other commanders are trying to be conservative in their estimates of progress "so that people don't think that we are seizing on something and saying right away that you're seeing success here."

'Quagmire Accomplished'

Starting with a handful of demonstrators early in the morning, the protest against Bush and the war swelled to about 40 people by midday, waving signs at motorists at Gandy Boulevard and Dale Mabry Highway.

The protesters, with signs bearing messages such as "Quagmire Accomplished," "Impeach Bush and Cheney" and "Wake Up - We've Been Lied To," reflected increasing dissatisfaction with the war.

In a CBS-New York Times poll last week, 71 percent of respondents said they disapproved of Bush's handling of the Iraq situation, and 24 percent approved.

By 64 percent to 32 percent, the respondents said the government should set a timetable for Iraq withdrawal.

At Dale Mabry and Gandy, about a mile north of the base's main entrance, some motorists honked horns or waved in support, while others made insulting gestures or shouted obscenities.

Some of the protesters were new to publicly opposing the war. Others had done street protests for two years or more.

They said the number of positive responses is greater now than a year ago.

Among the sign-wavers was Norma Aviles, mother of Andrew Aviles, an 18-year-old Tampa Marine reservist and Robinson High School graduate killed in April 2003 during the early days of the war.

Since then, she has become a regular at war protests, attending about 30, she said. She held a sign carrying a photo of troops' coffins returning from overseas.

"When people honk their horns, I'm glad because it means they're waking up," she said. "The other people, I wonder - how much more proof do they need?"

John Duddy, 42, a Dunedin financial consultant, was driving by on his way downtown, he said, when he saw the protest and stopped to join it.

"I've only got a few minutes to lend a hand," he said, "but I saw the 'Quagmire Accomplished' sign, and it just resonated with me."

That sign was put up by Jay Alexander, 49, of St. Petersburg, a regular war protester who said he began the demonstration at 7 a.m.

It referred to a banner saying "Mission Accomplished" hung up behind Bush four years ago when he appeared on an aircraft carrier, announcing that major military operations had concluded.

Young Volunteer Honored

Air Force One touched down at MacDill just after 11 a.m. Bush was greeted by Fallon, Petraeus and Army Gen. Bryan "Doug" Brown, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command.

Bush spent a few minutes on the tarmac with Daniel Middaugh, a 16-year-old from Riverview who was selected to receive the President's Volunteer Service Award. Wearing his JROTC uniform, the East Bay High School sophomore saluted as Bush presented the award.

Bush then attended a briefing attended by top U.S. and coalition commanders, who told him there has been a decline in sectarian violence since more U.S. troops have been added.

After his speech, Bush met privately with the military families who have lost loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At 3:20 p.m., Bush was back on the tarmac in his shirtsleeves greeting a mostly uniformed crowd. He held babies, had his picture taken with troops, and shook hands while Secret Service agents kept reporters and photographers from getting too close.

The crowd cheered as he boarded the plane back to Washington, where just after 6 p.m. he announced that he had vetoed the $124 billion war funding bill that contained a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

Reporter Richard Lardner can be reached at (813) 259-7966 or rlardner@tampatrib.com. Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761 or wmarch@tampatrib.com.