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“Victory in Iraq will result in a democracy that is a friend of America and an ally in the war on terror. Victory in Iraq will be a crushing defeat for our enemies, who have staked so much on the battle there. Victory in Iraq will honor the sacrifice of the brave Americans who have given their lives. And victory in Iraq would be a powerful triumph in the ideological struggle of the 21st century. From Damascus to Tehran, people will look to a democratic Iraq as inspiration that freedom can succeed in the Middle East, and as evidence that the side of freedom is the winning side.”
-President George W. Bush, 8/31/06
Today, the President outlined our progress in Iraq and the challenges that remain.
- “In the three years since Saddam’s fall, the Iraqi people have
- reclaimed sovereignty of their country.
- They cast their ballots in free elections.
- They drafted and approved a democratic constitution
- and elected a constitutional democracy at the heart of the Middle East.”
- “Iraq has seen a rise of terrorist and insurgent movements that use brutal and indiscriminate violence to frustrate the desire of the Iraqi people for freedom and peace. Al Qaeda terrorists, former elements of Saddam's regime, illegal militias and unlawful armed groups are all working to undermine Iraq's new democracy.”
- “They want to drive America and our coalition out of Iraq and the Middle East, so they can stop the advance of freedom and impose their dark vision on the people of the Middle East.”
The overwhelming majority of the Iraqi people want peace and a normal life in a unified country.
- “At every step along the way, our enemies have failed to break the courage of the Iraqi people; and they have failed to stop the rise of Iraqi democracy -- and they will fail in breaking the will of the American people.”
- “These enemies … have embarked on a bloody campaign of sectarian violence, which they hope will plunge Iraq into a civil war. The outbreak of sectarian violence was encouraged by the terrorist Zarqawi, al Qaeda's man in Iraq who called for an “all out war” on Iraqi Shia.”
- “Our ambassador reports that thousands of Iraqis were murdered in Baghdad last month, and large numbers of them were victims of sectarian violence.”
- “Iraq's government is working tirelessly to hold the nation together and to heal Iraq's divisions, not to exploit them. The Iraqi people have come a long way. They are not going to let their country fall apart or relapse into tyranny.”
- “Prime Minister Maliki told the United States Congress, ‘Iraqis have tasted freedom and we will defend it absolutely’.”
- “America has a clear strategy to help the Iraqi people protect their new freedom and build a democracy that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself.”
The President urged Iraqis to continue tackling the nation's challenges.
- “This is a crucial moment for the new Iraqi government its leaders understand the challenge. They believe that now is the time to hammer out compromises on Iraq's most contentious issues.”
- “I’ve been clear with each Iraqi leader I meet: America is a patient nation, and Iraq can count on our partnership as long as ithe new government continues to make the hard decisions necessary to advance a unified, democratic, peaceful Iraq. Prime Minister Maliki has shown courage in laying out an agenda to do just that -- and he can count on an ally, the United States of America, to help him promote this agenda.”
We are helping Iraq defend itself and defeat the violence.
- “We continue to train Iraqi police forces to defend their own nation. We've handed over security responsibility for a southern province to Iraqi forces. Five of Iraq's 10 army divisions are now taking the lead in their areas of operation. The Iraqi security forces are determined; they're becoming more capable; and together, we will defeat the enemies of a free Iraq.”
- “The Baghdad Security Plan is still in its early stages. We cannot expect immediate success. Yet the initial results are encouraging.”
- “According to one military report, a Sunni man in a diverse Baghdad neighborhood said this about the Shia soldiers on patrol: "Their image has changed. Now you feel they're there to protect you.”
Al Qaida leaders and other terrorists have made clear that for them Iraq is central to their war of terror.
- “That would come as news to Osama bin Laden, who has proclaimed that the “third world war is raging” in Iraq. It would come as news to the number two man of al Qaeda Zawahiri, who has called the struggle in Iraq, quote, ‘the place for the greatest battle’.”
- “It would come as news to the terrorists from Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and other countries, who have to come to Iraq to fight the rise of democracy.”
- “It’s hard to believe that these terrorists would make long journeys across dangerous borders, endure heavy fighting, or blow themselves up in the streets of Baghdad, all for a so-called ‘diversion’.
For the security of the civilized world, we must complete the mission in Iraq.
- “If America were to pull out before Iraq can defend itself, the consequences would be absolutely predictable -- and absolutely disastrous.”
- “We would be handing Iraq over to our worst enemies – Saddam’s former henchmen, armed groups with ties to Iran, and al Qaeda terrorists from all over the world who would suddenly have a base of operations far more valuable than Afghanistan under the Taliban.”
- “General John Abizaid, our top commander for the Middle East region, recently put it this way: ‘If we leave, they will follow us.’ and he is right.”
- “The security of the civilized world depends on victory in the war on terror, and that depends on victory in Iraq. So the United States of America will not leave until victory is achieved. “
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