Bush Urges Support For Iraq War

President Bush left the seclusion of his Texas ranch Monday to remind Americans why he thinks they must not give up on peace and stability in Iraq.

In the face of growing skepticism over the war, Mr. Bush told a meeting of the Veterans Of Foreign Wars in Republican-friendly Utah that "a policy of retreat and isolation will not bring us safety" from terrorism.

With U.S. casualties rising and his approval rating falling, Mr. Bush urged Americans to stand united in the war in Iraq and against terrorists everywhere.

CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller reports Mr. Bush made a rare and direct reference to the 1,864 U.S. personnel who have so far lost their lives there.

"We owe them something. We will finish the task they gave their lives for," the president said. "We'll honor their sacrifice by staying on the offensive against the terrorists."

Mr. Bush also hailed Iraqi efforts to draft a constitution, saying it will be a landmark event in Iraq's history and move toward democracy.

While the United States has not been attacked since Sept. 11, 2001, Mr. Bush said, "We're not yet safe. Terrorists in foreign lands still hope to attack our country. We must confront threats before they fully materialize."

"The only way to defend to our citizens where we live is to go after the terrorists where they live," he said.

Monday's speech was the first of two Mr. Bush is giving this week reaffirming his plan to stay the course despite the recent focus on problems in Iraq. The second comes Wednesday to a National Guard group in Idaho.

While Mr. Bush has been vacationing at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, anti-war protesters camped by the roadside have taken the limelight, complete with a Sunday evening concert by folk singer Joan Baez.

In an ad airing in Salt Lake City to coincide with the president's visit, Cindy Sheehan – the grieving mother who started the protest vigil outside Mr. Bush's ranch – pleaded for a meeting with him and accused him of lying to the American people about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and ties to al Qaeda terrorists.

One station, ABC affiliate KTVX, refused to run the ad, saying it could be offensive to the community.

Mr. Bush has strong support in Utah, where he received nearly 70 percent of the vote last fall. But nationwide polls find the public growing more skeptical about his handling of the war.

Back in Texas, Baez took to the stage for about 500 people on an acre lot offered by a landowner who opposes the war, performing such classic peace anthems as "Song of Peace," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."

Not far away is the camp started by Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed in Iraq.

"In the first march I went to (opposing Vietnam) there were 10 of us. This is huge," Baez told the relatives of fallen soldiers before performing just up the road from the ranch.

Downtown, more Bush supporters arrived at a pro-Bush camp that had been set up as a reaction to Sheehan's. As of Sunday afternoon, more than 150 people had visited the large tent with "God Bless Our President!" and "God Bless Our Troops" banners and a life-size cardboard cutout of Mr. Bush.

The pro-Bush camp is called "Fort Qualls," for Marine Lance Cpl. Louis Wayne Qualls, 20, killed in Fallujah last fall. His father, Gary Qualls of Temple, said the anti-war demonstrators are being disrespectful to soldiers.

Sheehan, of Vacaville, Calif., started the anti-war demonstration on Aug. 6 and vowed to remain until Mr. Bush agreed to meet with her or until his monthlong vacation ends Sept. 3. She flew to Los Angeles last week after her 74-year-old mother had a stroke but is expected to return to Texas in a few days.

Iraq continues to be the president's number one problem, even in his own party, reports CBS News Correspondent Bill Plante.

Over the weekend, the Army's chief of staff said troop levels in Iraq may stay the same for the next four years.

Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel calls that "complete folly."

"There's no way America is going to have 100,000 troops in Iraq, nor should it in four years," said Hagel, R-Neb. "It would bog us down. It won't be four years. We need to be out."

Hagel, who may try for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, says flatly the U.S. is not winning in Iraq, and compares the situation there to Vietnam.

"We are locked into a bogged-down problem, not dissimilar to where we were in Vietnam."