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Snow also defended the president's recent announcement to send more than 20,000 troops to Iraq, a decision that has met stern opposition from both parties of Congress. He is one of several top administrators trying to garner support for the president's new domestic and foreign policy plans following the State of the Union address Tuesday.
The informal discussion was hosted by Media and Public Affairs professor Frank Sesno, who aggressively sparred with Snow for more than an hour in the Jack Morton Auditorium. Sesno, who is a special correspondent for CNN, has known the secretary since Snow's years as a television journalist for Fox News.
Sesno began by asking whether President Bush will be able to win the Iraq War, given the increased chaos in the Middle East and bipartisan criticism of the war in Congress.
"I defy you to find any war that has moved in a smooth line where you didn't encounter difficulties and where the Commander in Chief didn't become unpopular," Snow said. "It is difficult to be president in a time of war and therefore it is essential to demonstrate leadership."
Snow said that the problem with past Iraq plans was that American forces were rarely stationed in any region long enough to enact permanent change. The president's new plan calls for a permanent patrol of nine different regions in Baghdad.
"Operation Together Forward didn't work," Snow said, referring to the strategy in Iraq following the 2006 bombing of a mosque near Baghdad. "Now, you don't resign if it doesn't work; what you do is assess the facts and try to figure it out."
Snow warned that pulling troops out of the area will give terrorists more power and also unlimited access to American oil supplies.
"Americans need to understand that wars are unpopular and they're tough and they're hard on the democracy," Snow said. "But also, a perception of weakness and an invitation of terror can be even more grueling in the long run."
