In an address to the nation on September 13, 2007, President Bush “portrayed an Iraq where ‘ordinary life is beginning to return’ at long last. ‘The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is *return on success*… The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home.’ He added, ‘Some say the gains we are making in Iraq come too late. They are mistaken. It is never too late to deal a blow to al-Qaeda. It is never too late to advance freedom. And it is never too late to support our troops in a fight they can win.’ ”
– Peter Baker, Days of Fire, Page 565