    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [August 18, 2007]
    [Pages 1074-1076]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    August 18, 2007

        Good morning. In recent months, American and Iraqi forces have
    struck powerful blows against Al Qaida terrorists and violent extremists
    in Anbar and other Provinces. In recent days, our troops and Iraqi
    allies launched a new offensive called Phantom Strike. In this
    offensive, we are carrying out targeted operations against terrorists
    and extremists fleeing Baghdad and other key cities to prevent them from
    returning or setting up new bases of operation. The terrorists remain
    dangerous and brutal, as we saw this week when they massacred more than
    200 innocent Yazidis, a small religious minority in northwestern Iraq.
    Our hearts go out to the families of those killed, and our troops are
    going to go after the murderers behind this horrific attack.
        As we surge combat operations to capture and kill the enemy, we are
    also surging Provincial Reconstruction Teams to promote political and
    economic progress. Since January, we have doubled the number of these
    teams, known as PRTs. They bring together military, civilian, and
    diplomatic

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    personnel to help Iraqi communities rebuild infrastructure, create jobs,
    and encourage reconciliation from the ground up. These teams are now
    deployed throughout the country, and they are helping Iraqis make
    political gains, especially at the local level.
        In Anbar Province at this time last year, the terrorists were in
    control of many areas and brutalizing the local population. Then local
    sheikhs joined with American forces to drive the terrorists out of
    Ramadi and other cities. Residents began to provide critical
    intelligence, and tribesmen joined the Iraqi police and security forces.
    Today, the Provincial council in Ramadi is back, and last month,
    Provincial officials reopened parts of the war-damaged government center
    with the help of one of our PRTs. Thirty-five local council members were
    present as the chairman called the body to order for its inaugural
    session.
        Similar scenes are taking place in other parts of Anbar. Virtually
    every city and town in the Province now has a mayor and a functioning
    municipal council. The rule of law is being restored. And last month,
    some 40 judges held a conference in Anbar to restart major criminal
    trials. In the far west town of Al Qaim, tribal leaders turned against
    the terrorists. Today, those tribal leaders head the regional mayor's
    office and the local police force. Our PRT leader on the ground reports
    that Al Qaim is seeing new construction, growing commercial activity,
    and an increasing number of young men volunteering for the Iraqi Army
    and police.
        In other Provinces, there are also signs of progress from the bottom
    up. In Muthanna, an overwhelmingly Shi'a Province, the local council
    held a public meeting to hear from citizens on how to spend their budget
    and rebuild their neighborhoods. In Diyala Province, the city of Baqubah
    reopened six of its banks, providing residents with much-needed capital
    for the local economy. And in Ninawa Province, local officials have
    established a commission to investigate corruption, with a local judge
    empowered to pursue charges of fraud and racketeering.
        Unfortunately, political progress at the national level has not
    matched the pace of progress at the local level. The Iraqi Government in
    Baghdad has many important measures left to address, such as reforming
    the de-Ba'athification laws, organizing Provincial elections, and
    passing a law to formalize the sharing of oil revenues. Yet the Iraqi
    Parliament has passed about 60 pieces of legislation.
        And despite the lack of oil revenue law on the books, oil revenue
    sharing is taking place. The Iraqi Parliament has allocated more than $2
    billion in oil revenue for the Provinces. And the Shi'a-led Government
    in Baghdad is sharing a significant portion of these oil revenues with
    Sunni Provincial leaders in places like Anbar.
        America will continue to urge Iraq's leaders to meet the benchmarks
    they have set. Yet Americans can be encouraged by the progress and
    reconciliation that are taking place at the local level. An American
    politician once observed that ``all politics is local.'' In a democracy,
    over time, national politics reflects local realities. And as
    reconciliation occurs in local communities across Iraq, it will help
    create the conditions for reconciliation in Baghdad as well.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 8:20 a.m. on August 17 at the Bush
    Ranch in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 18. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    August 17, but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.

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