Bush seeks more patience on Iraq

So, Mad King George wants "more patience, more courage and more sacrifice". Sorry, George, we're out of patience with your lies and deceptions and downright dishonesty. The American people are finally getting the courage to stand up to your illegal, immoral way. And we believe our military has made enough sacrifices for you cronies' profits. The invasion of Iraq was never "essential to the security of the United States of America." Only fools believe that one.

From Al Jazeera: 

The US president has defended his Iraq war policy in an independence day speech, saying that while he honoured the sacrifice of US troops, now was not the time to bring them home.

Bush said victory in Iraq would require "more patience, more courage and more sacrifice".

"If we were to quit Iraq before the job is done, the terrorists we are fighting would not declare victory and lay down their arms. They would follow us here," Bush said at the West Virginia Air National Guard.

At the same time, an anti-war demonstration took place on the other side of the state in Charleston.

The war, in its fifth year, has claimed the lives of more than 3,580 US soldiers.

"It's a tough fight, but I wouldn't have asked those troops to go into harm's way if the fight was not essential to the security of the United States of America," Bush said.

In Baghdad, the administration was trumpeting a ceremony in which 588 US troops marked the holiday by re-enlisting Wednesday, and 161 soldiers took oaths making them American citizens.

However, difficulties continue in Iraq. Sunnis, Shia and Kurds said on Wednesday that they had not been able to agree on a draft bill to regulate the country's oil industry - something Washington hopes will rally Sunni support for the government and reduce backing for fighters.