[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

[[Page 1075]]

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.

[[Page 1076]]