Meanwhile, President Bush traveled to the military base at Fort Benning, Georgia, Thursday in what critics called a photo-opportunity visit.

President Bush: “Imagine what would happen if these extremists who hate America gained control of energy reserves. You can bet they would use those reserves as blackmail in order to achieve their objectives. If we were to leave Iraq, if we were to fail, Iran would be emboldened in terms of nuclear weapons. Our enemies would have safe havens in which to launch attacks. People would look back at this moment in history and say, 'What happened to them in America? How come they couldn't see the threats to future generations?’ That is why we must and we will succeed in Iraq.”

The Los Angeles Times reports Bush’s military audience gave him a less enthusiastic reception than on previous visits to promote his Iraq policy. Most of the soldiers at Fort Benning have already served in Iraq. The White House and military officials barred the soldiers from speaking to reporters before or after the president’s speech.