    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [January 10, 2007]
    [Pages 16-20]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Address to the Nation on Military Operations in Iraq
    January 10, 2007

        Good evening. Tonight in Iraq, the Armed Forces of the United States
    are engaged in a struggle that will determine the direction of the
    global war on terror and our safety here at home. The new strategy I
    outline tonight will change America's course in Iraq and help us succeed
    in the fight against terror.
        When I addressed you just over a year ago, nearly 12 million Iraqis
    had cast their ballots for a unified and democratic nation. The
    elections of 2005 were a stunning achievement. We thought that these
    elections would bring the Iraqis together and that as we trained Iraqi
    security forces, we could accomplish our mission with fewer American
    troops.
        But in 2006, the opposite happened. The violence in Iraq,
    particularly in Baghdad, overwhelmed the political gains the Iraqis had
    made. Al Qaida terrorists and Sunni insurgents recognized the mortal
    danger that Iraq's elections posed for their cause, and they responded
    with outrageous acts of murder aimed at innocent Iraqis. They blew up
    one of the holiest shrines in Shi'a Islam, the Golden Mosque of Samarra,
    in a calculated effort to provoke Iraq's Shi'a population to retaliate.
    Their strategy worked. Radical Shi'a elements, some supported by Iran,
    formed death squads. And the result was a vicious cycle of sectarian
    violence that continues today.
        The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people, and it
    is unacceptable to me. Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely. They have
    done everything we have asked them to do. Where mistakes have been made,
    the responsibility rests with me.
        It is clear that we need to change our strategy in Iraq. So my
    national security team, military commanders, and diplomats conducted a
    comprehensive review. We consulted Members of Congress from both
    parties, our allies abroad, and distinguished outside experts. We
    benefited from the thoughtful recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, a
    bipartisan panel led by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Congressman Lee Hamilton. In our discussions, we all agreed that there is no
    magic formula for success in Iraq. And one message came through loud and
    clear: Failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States.
        The consequences of failure are clear. Radical Islamic extremists
    would grow in strength and gain new recruits. They would be in a better
    position to topple moderate governments, create chaos in the region, and
    use oil revenues to fund their ambitions. Iran would be emboldened in
    its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Our enemies would have a safe haven from
    which to plan and launch attacks on the American people. On September
    the 11th, 2001, we saw what a refuge for extremists on the other side of
    the world could bring to the streets of our own cities. For the safety
    of our people, America must succeed in Iraq.
        The most urgent priority for success in Iraq is security, especially
    in Baghdad. Eighty percent of Iraq's sectarian violence occurs within 30
    miles of the capital. This

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    violence is splitting Baghdad into sectarian enclaves and shaking the
    confidence of all Iraqis. Only Iraqis can end the sectarian violence and
    secure their people, and their Government has put forward an aggressive
    plan to do it.
        Our past efforts to secure Baghdad failed for two principal reasons:
    There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighborhoods
    that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents, and there were too
    many restrictions on the troops we did have. Our military commanders
    reviewed the new Iraqi plan to ensure that it addressed these mistakes.
    They report that it does. They also report that this plan can work.
        Now let me explain the main elements of this effort. The Iraqi
    Government will appoint a military commander and two deputy commanders
    for their capital. The Iraqi Government will deploy Iraqi Army and
    National Police brigades across Baghdad's nine districts. When these
    forces are fully deployed, there will be 18 Iraqi Army and National
    Police brigades committed to this effort, along with local police. These
    Iraqi forces will operate from local police stations, conducting patrols
    and setting up checkpoints and going door to door to gain the trust of
    Baghdad residents.
        This is a strong commitment, but for it to succeed, our commanders
    say the Iraqis will need our help. So America will change our strategy
    to help the Iraqis carry out their campaign to put down sectarian
    violence and bring security to the people of Baghdad. This will require
    increasing American force levels. So I've committed more than 20,000
    additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them, five
    brigades, will be deployed to Baghdad. These troops will work alongside
    Iraqi units and be embedded in their formations. Our troops will have a
    well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to
    help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the
    Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that
    Baghdad needs.
        Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed when
    previous operations to secure Baghdad did not. Well, here are the
    differences. In earlier operations, Iraqi and American forces cleared
    many neighborhoods of terrorists and insurgents, but when our forces
    moved on to other targets, the killers returned. This time we'll have
    the force levels we need to hold the areas that have been cleared. In
    earlier operations, political and sectarian interference prevented Iraqi
    and American forces from going into neighborhoods that are home to those
    fueling the sectarian violence. This time Iraqi and American forces will
    have a green light to enter those neighborhoods, and Prime Minister
    Maliki has pledged that political or
    sectarian interference will not be tolerated.
        I have made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq's other leaders that America's commitment is not
    open-ended. If the Iraqi Government does not follow through on its
    promises, it will lose the support of the American people, and it will
    lose the support of the Iraqi people. Now is the time to act. The Prime
    Minister understands this. Here is what he told his people just last
    week: ``The Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any
    outlaws, regardless of their sectarian or political affiliation.''
        This new strategy will not yield an immediate end to suicide
    bombings, assassinations, or IED attacks. Our enemies in Iraq will make
    every effort to ensure that our television screens are filled with
    images of death and suffering. Yet over time, we can expect to see Iraqi
    troops chasing down murderers, fewer brazen acts of terror, and growing
    trust and cooperation from Baghdad's residents. When this happens, daily
    life will improve, Iraqis will gain confidence in their leaders, and the
    Government will have the breathing space it needs to make progress in
    other critical areas. Most of Iraq's Sunni and Shi'a want to live
    together

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    in peace, and reducing the violence in Baghdad will help make
    reconciliation possible.
        A successful strategy for Iraq goes beyond military operations.
    Ordinary Iraqi citizens must see that military operations are
    accompanied by visible improvements in their neighborhoods and
    communities. So America will hold the Iraqi Government to the benchmarks
    it has announced.
        To establish its authority, the Iraqi Government plans to take
    responsibility for security in all of Iraq's Provinces by November. To
    give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country's economy, Iraq will
    pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis. To show that it
    is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi Government will
    spend $10 billion of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure
    projects that will create new jobs. To empower local leaders, Iraqis
    plan to hold provincial elections later this year. And to allow more
    Iraqis to reenter their nation's political life, the Government will
    reform de-Ba'athification laws and establish a fair process for
    considering amendments to Iraq's Constitution.
        America will change our approach to help the Iraqi Government as it
    works to meet these benchmarks. In keeping with the recommendations of
    the Iraq Study Group, we will increase the embedding of American
    advisers in Iraqi Army units and partner a coalition brigade with every
    Iraqi Army division. We will help the Iraqis build a larger and better
    equipped army, and we will accelerate the training of Iraqi forces,
    which remains the essential U.S. security mission in Iraq. We will give
    our commanders and civilians greater flexibility to spend funds for
    economic assistance. We will double the number of Provincial
    Reconstruction Teams. These teams bring together military and civilian
    experts to help local Iraqi communities pursue reconciliation,
    strengthen the moderates, and speed the transition to Iraqi self-
    reliance. And Secretary Rice will soon
    appoint a reconstruction coordinator in Baghdad to ensure better results
    for economic assistance being spent in Iraq.
        As we make these changes, we will continue to pursue Al Qaida and
    foreign fighters. Al Qaida is still active in Iraq. Its home base is
    Anbar Province. Al Qaida has helped make Anbar the most violent area of
    Iraq outside the capital. A captured Al Qaida document describes the
    terrorists' plan to infiltrate and seize control of the Province. This
    would bring Al Qaida closer to its goals of taking down Iraq's
    democracy, building a radical Islamic empire, and launching new attacks
    on the United States, at home and abroad.
        Our military forces in Anbar are killing and capturing Al Qaida
    leaders, and they are protecting the local population. Recently, local
    tribal leaders have begun to show their willingness to take on Al Qaida.
    And as a result, our commanders believe we have an opportunity to deal a
    serious blow to the terrorists. So I have given orders to increase
    American forces in Anbar Province by 4,000 troops. These troops will
    work with Iraqi and tribal forces to keep up the pressure on the
    terrorists. America's men and women in uniform took away Al Qaida's safe
    haven in Afghanistan, and we will not allow them to reestablish it in
    Iraq.
        Succeeding in Iraq also requires defending its territorial integrity
    and stabilizing the region in the face of extremist challenges. This
    begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes are allowing
    terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of
    Iraq. Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops.
    We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We'll interrupt the flow of
    support from Iran and Syria, and we will seek out and destroy the
    networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in
    Iraq.
        We're also taking other steps to bolster the security of Iraq and
    protect American

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    interests in the Middle East. I recently ordered the deployment of an
    additional carrier strike group to the region. We will expand
    intelligence sharing and deploy Patriot air defense systems to reassure
    our friends and allies. We will work with the Governments of Turkey and
    Iraq to help them resolve problems along their border. And we will work
    with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating
    the region.
        We will use America's full diplomatic resources to rally support for
    Iraq from nations throughout the Middle East. Countries like Saudi
    Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf States need to understand that an
    American defeat in Iraq would create a new sanctuary for extremists and
    a strategic threat to their survival. These nations have a stake in a
    successful Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors, and they must step
    up their support for Iraq's unity Government. We endorse the Iraqi
    Government's call to finalize an international compact that will bring
    new economic assistance in exchange for greater economic reform. And on
    Friday, Secretary Rice will leave for the
    region to build support for Iraq and continue the urgent diplomacy
    required to help bring peace to the Middle East.
        The challenge playing out across the broader Middle East is more
    than a military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of our
    time. On one side are those who believe in freedom and moderation; on
    the other side are extremists who kill the innocent and have declared
    their intention to destroy our way of life. In the long run, the most
    realistic way to protect the American people is to provide a hopeful
    alternative to the hateful ideology of the enemy by advancing liberty
    across a troubled region. It is in the interests of the United States to
    stand with the brave men and women who are risking their lives to claim
    their freedom and to help them as they work to raise up just and hopeful
    societies across the Middle East.
        From Afghanistan to Lebanon to the Palestinian Territories, millions
    of ordinary people are sick of the violence and want a future of peace
    and opportunity for their children. And they are looking at Iraq. They
    want to know: Will America withdraw and yield the future of that country
    to the extremists, or will we stand with the Iraqis who have made the
    choice for freedom?
        The changes I have outlined tonight are aimed at ensuring the
    survival of a young democracy that is fighting for its life in a part of
    the world of enormous importance to American security. Let me be clear:
    The terrorists and insurgents in Iraq are without conscience, and they
    will make the year ahead bloody and violent. Even if our new strategy
    works exactly as planned, deadly acts of violence will continue, and we
    must expect more Iraqi and American casualties. The question is whether
    our new strategy will bring us closer to success. I believe that it
    will.
        Victory will not look like the ones our fathers and grandfathers
    achieved. There will be no surrender ceremony on the deck of a
    battleship. But victory in Iraq will bring something new in the Arab
    world: a functioning democracy that polices its territory, upholds the
    rule of law, respects fundamental human liberties, and answers to its
    people. A democratic Iraq will not be perfect, but it will be a country
    that fights terrorists instead of harboring them, and it will help bring
    a future of peace and security for our children and our grandchildren.
        This new approach comes after consultations with Congress about the
    different courses we could take in Iraq. Many are concerned that the
    Iraqis are becoming too dependent on the United States, and therefore,
    our policy should focus on protecting Iraq's borders and hunting down Al
    Qaida. Their solution is to scale back America's efforts in Baghdad or
    announce the phased withdrawal of our combat forces. We carefully
    considered these proposals, and we concluded that to step back now would

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    force a collapse of the Iraqi Government, tear the country apart, and
    result in mass killings on an unimaginable scale. Such a scenario would
    result in our troops being forced to stay in Iraq even longer and
    confront an enemy that is even more lethal. If we increase our support
    at this crucial moment and help the Iraqis break the current cycle of
    violence, we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home.
        In the days ahead, my national security team will fully brief
    Congress on our new strategy. If Members have improvements that can be
    made, we will make them. If circumstances change, we will adjust.
    Honorable people have different views, and they will voice their
    criticisms. It is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny. And all
    involved have a responsibility to explain how the path they propose
    would be more likely to succeed.
        Acting on the good advice of Senator Joe Lieberman and other key Members of Congress, we will form a new,
    bipartisan working group that will help us come together across party
    lines to win the war on terror. This group will meet regularly with me
    and my administration; it will help strengthen our relationship with
    Congress. We can begin by working together to increase the size of the
    active Army and Marine Corps, so that America has the Armed Forces we
    need for the 21st century. We also need to examine ways to mobilize
    talented American civilians to deploy overseas, where they can help
    build democratic institutions in communities and nations recovering from
    war and tyranny.
        In these dangerous times, the United States is blessed to have
    extraordinary and selfless men and women willing to step forward and
    defend us. These young Americans understand that our cause in Iraq is
    noble and necessary and that the advance of freedom is the calling of
    our time. They serve far from their families, who make the quiet
    sacrifices of lonely holidays and empty chairs at the dinner table. They
    have watched their comrades give their lives to ensure our liberty. We
    mourn the loss of every fallen American, and we owe it to them to build
    a future worthy of their sacrifice.
        Fellow citizens, the year ahead will demand more patience,
    sacrifice, and resolve. It can be tempting to think that America can put
    aside the burdens of freedom. Yet times of testing reveal the character
    of a nation, and throughout our history, Americans have always defied
    the pessimists and seen our faith in freedom redeemed. Now America is
    engaged in a new struggle that will set the course for a new century. We
    can and we will prevail.
        We go forward with trust that the Author of Liberty will guide us
    through these trying hours. Thank you and good night.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:01 p.m. in the Library at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of
    Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of these remarks.