approval ratings for his leadership on the war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but is viewed with great skepticism on his handling of the Iraq war, which he called the "central front" in the battle. He said that in the long run the only way to defeat militants is to "advance the cause of freedom" in the Middle East, comparing it to when Germany and Japan became allies in the years after World War Two. "And when the Middle East grows in democracy and prosperity and hope, the terrorists will lose their sponsors. They'll lose their recruits. They will lose their hopes for turning that region into a base of attacks against America and our allies," he said. As for Iraq, Bush cited progress in training Iraqis to defend themselves, which he said was a requirement for U.S. troops to be able to come home. "Our plan can be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down," Bush said.
