    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [September 3, 2007]
    [Pages 1157-1159]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With Iraqi Leaders at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq
    September 3, 2007

    [The President's remarks were joined in progress.]

        ----as reinforcements. And together with the brave Iraqis, we've
    gone into Al Qaida strongholds and have driven them out.
        Today, Anbar is a really different place. The level of violence is
    down, local governments are meeting again, police are more in control of
    the city streets, and normal life is returning. The people of this
    Province are seeing that standing up to the extremists is the path to a
    better life, that success is possible. And soon I'm going to meet with
    some of the leaders here in Anbar Province who have made a decision

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    to reject violence and murder in return for moderation and peace.
        I'm looking forward to hearing from the tribal leaders who led the
    fight against the terrorists and are now leading the effort to rebuild
    their communities. I'm going to speak with members of Anbar's Provincial
    council, which has reestablished itself and returned to the capital city
    of Ramadi. I'm going to reassure them that America does not abandon our
    friends, and America will not abandon the Iraqi people. That's the
    message all three of us bring.
        Earlier, we just met with the leaders of Iraq's national Government:
    President Talabani and Prime Minister
    Maliki, Deputy Prime Minister Barham
    Salih, Vice President Abd Al-Mahdi, Vice President Hashimi, and President Barzani of the
    Kurdish region. We had a good, frank discussion. We share a common goal:
    a free Iraq that has a government that responds to the people. The
    Government they represent, of course, is based in Baghdad, but they're
    here in Anbar because they know the success of a free Iraq depends on
    the national Government's support from the bottom up. They know what I
    know: That when you have bottom-up reconciliation, like you're seeing
    here in Anbar, it'll begin to translate into central Government action.
        The national Government is sharing oil revenues with this Province,
    and that's a positive development. The challenges are great, and I
    understand the pace of progress is frustrating. It's frustrating for the
    American people; it's frustrating for the Iraqi people. These people are
    working under difficult circumstances after having lived under the thumb
    of a brutal tyrant. Iraq's local and national leaders are working to
    ensure that the military success in places like Anbar is quickly backed
    up by real improvements in the lives of ordinary Iraqis. That's what we
    discussed today. Secretary Gates, Secretary
    Rice, and I discussed with the Iraqi
    leaders that there has been some security success, and now it's
    important for government to follow up.
        Our troops and diplomats and civilian experts will support the
    Iraqis in these efforts as they follow up. General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker
    gave us an update on how things are looking. They gave us an update on
    the way forward, and I was pleased with what I heard. The strategy we
    put into place earlier this year was designed to help the Iraqis improve
    their security so that political and economic progress could follow. And
    that is exactly the effect it is having in places like Anbar.
        We can't take this progress for granted. Here in Anbar and across
    Iraq, Al Qaida and other enemies of freedom will continue to try to kill
    the innocent in order to impose their dark ideology. But General
    Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker tell me if the kind of success we are now seeing
    continues, it will be possible to maintain the same level of security
    with fewer American forces. These two fine Americans will report to
    Congress next week, and I urge members of both parties in Congress to
    listen what they have to say. Congress shouldn't jump to conclusions
    until the general and the Ambassador report.
        When you stand on the ground here in Anbar and hear from the people
    who live here, you can see what the future of Iraq can look like. That's
    why Members of Congress from both parties who have visited Iraq have
    come back encouraged by what they have seen. For all the differences
    over the war, we can agree on what's working. And we can agree that
    continuing this progress is vital to making the strategic interests--
    vital in meeting the strategic interests of our Nation. It's vital to
    bring in--it's vital that we work to bring America together behind a
    common vision for a more stable and more peaceful Middle East.
        Thank you all very much.

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 11 a.m. In his remarks, he
    referred to Gen. David H. Petraeus, USA, commanding general, Multi-
    National Force--Iraq.

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