President Bush greets U.S. troops in South Korea.

"And as long as I am commander in chief, our strategy in Iraq will be driven by the sober judgment of our military commanders on the ground."....President George W. Bush, Nov. 19 2005

President Bush on Saturday swatted down calls in Congress for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, saying that American military leaders believe that retreat now would be "a recipe for disaster."

"So we will fight the terrorists in Iraq and we will stay in the fight until we have achieved the victory our brave troops have fought and bled for," said Bush, facing mounting criticism from home about his war policy.

Bush defended his Iraq strategy in remarks prepared for a speech at Osan Air Base, headquarters for the 7th Air Force, the primary U.S. Air Force unit in Korea.

"In Washington there are some who say that the sacrifice is too great, and they urged us to set a date for withdrawal before we have completed our mission," the president said. "Those who are in the fight know better."

In his remarks, Bush said that a senior commander in Iraq, Maj. Gen. William Webster, had said that setting a deadline for withdrawal would be "a recipe for disaster."

"And as long as I am commander in chief, our strategy in Iraq will be driven by the sober judgment of our military commanders on the ground," the president said.