    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [December 9, 2006]
    [Pages 2169-2170]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    December 9, 2006

        Good morning. This week, I held important meetings at the White
    House about the situation in Iraq.
        On Monday, I met in the Oval Office with one of Iraq's most
    influential Shi'a leaders, His Eminence Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim. We discussed the desire of the Iraqi people to
    see their unity Government succeed and how the United States can help
    them achieve that goal.
        On Thursday, I had breakfast with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain. We discussed the sectarian violence in Iraq
    and the need to confront extremists inside Iraq and throughout the
    region. The Prime Minister explains it this way: ``The violence is not
    an accident or a result of faulty planning. It is a deliberate strategy.
    It is the direct result of outside extremists teaming up with internal
    extremists--Al Qaida with the Sunni insurgents and Iran with Shi'a
    militia--to foment hatred and thus throttle, at birth, the possibility
    of nonsectarian democracy.''
        The Prime Minister and I also discussed the
    report I received this week from the Iraq Study Group, chaired by former
    Secretary of State James Baker and
    former Congressman Lee Hamilton. Their
    report provides a straightforward picture of the grave situation we face
    in Iraq. The Iraq Study Group's report also explicitly endorses the
    strategic goal we've set in Iraq: an Iraq that can ``govern itself,
    sustain itself, and defend itself.''
        The report went on to say, quote, ``In our view, this definition
    entails an Iraq with a broadly representative government that maintains
    its territorial integrity, is at peace with its neighbors, denies
    terrorism a sanctuary, and doesn't brutalize its own people. Given the
    current situation in Iraq, achieving this goal will require much time
    and will depend primarily on the actions of the Iraqi people.''
        I agree with this assessment. I was also encouraged that the Iraq
    Study Group was clear about the consequences of a precipitous withdrawal
    from Iraq. The group declared that such a withdrawal would, quote,
    ``almost certainly produce greater sectarian violence'' and lead to ``a
    significant power vacuum, greater human suffering, regional
    destabilization, and a threat to the global economy.'' The report went
    on to say, ``If we leave and Iraq descends into chaos, the long-range
    consequences could eventually require the United States to return.''
        The Iraq Study Group understands the urgency of getting it right in
    Iraq. The

    [[Page 2170]]

    group also understands that while the work ahead will not be easy,
    success in Iraq is important, and success in Iraq is possible. The group
    proposed a number of thoughtful recommendations on a way forward for our
    country in Iraq. My administration is reviewing the report, and we will
    seriously consider every recommendation. At the same time, the Pentagon,
    the State Department, and the National Security Council are finishing
    work on their own reviews of our strategy in Iraq. I look forward to
    receiving their recommendations. I want to hear all advice as I make the
    decisions to chart a new course in Iraq.
        I thank the members of the Iraq Study Group for their hard work and
    for the example of bipartisanship that they have set. The group showed
    that Americans of different political parties can agree on a common goal
    in Iraq and come together on ways to achieve it. Now it is the
    responsibility of all of us in Washington--Republicans and Democrats
    alike--to come together and find greater consensus on the best way
    forward.
        As part of this effort, I met this week with House and Senate
    leaders from both parties, as well as senior members of the Armed
    Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees. We had
    productive discussions about our shared duty to forge a bipartisan
    approach to succeed in Iraq. The future of a vital region of the world
    and the security of the American people depend on victory in Iraq. I'm
    confident that we can move beyond our political differences and come
    together to achieve that victory. I will do my part.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on December 8 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on December 9. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    December 8 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his
    address, the President referred to Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, chairman,
    Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. The Office of the
    Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this
    address.