    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 25 (Monday, June 26, 2006)]
    [Pages 1173-1174]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    The President's Radio Address

    June 17, 2006

        Good morning. Earlier this week, I traveled to Baghdad to visit the
    capital of a free and democratic Iraq. It was an incredible feeling to
    stand in the cockpit of Air Force One and watch the pilot steer us in
    toward Baghdad.
        After we landed, I had the pleasure of meeting with our dedicated
    Embassy staff and intelligence officers serving far from home under
    dangerous circumstances. And I was honored to meet with some of our
    troops, including those responsible for bringing justice to the
    terrorist Zarqawi. It was a privilege to shake their hands, look them in
    the eye, and tell them how much the American people appreciate their
    daily courage and how much we appreciate the sacrifices that they and
    their families are making.
        On my trip, I also met with the new Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, and
    I was able to see firsthand his strong character and his determination
    to succeed. We held a joint meeting of our two Cabinets, with members of
    my Cabinet participating by video teleconference from Camp David. The
    Prime Minister briefed us on his plan to take immediate steps in three
    key areas: improving security; building up Iraq's economy so Iraqis can
    see real progress in their lives; and reaching out to the international
    community to secure support for Iraq's new Government. Then we discussed
    how my administration can help the Prime Minister accomplish these vital
    objectives.
        His top priority is securing Baghdad, so coalition and Iraqi forces
    have launched Operation Together Forward, a joint effort to restore
    security and the rule of law to high-risk areas of the city. To help the
    Prime Minister improve security, we will continue embedding coalition
    transition teams in Iraqi Army and police units, and we will help the
    new Iraqi Ministers of Defense and Interior improve their command and
    control, root out corruption, and investigate and punish human rights
    violations. We will also support the Prime Minister as he works to rein
    in illegal militias, build a judicial system that will provide equal
    justice to all, and promote reconciliation among the Iraqi people.
        To aid the Prime Minister in revitalizing Iraq's economy, we will
    send additional experts to help the Iraqi Government develop an economic
    framework that will promote job creation and opportunity for all Iraqis.
    We will also help the Prime Minister increase oil and electricity
    production by working together on ways to protect key infrastructure
    from attacks and to quickly restore oil and electricity production when
    attacks do occur.
        Finally, America will help the Prime Minister engage the
    international community in Iraq's success. We will encourage other
    nations to fulfill the monetary pledges they have already made to help
    the new Iraqi Government succeed. We will also support the Prime
    Minister's efforts to forge a new

    [[Page 1174]]

    international compact. Under this compact, Iraq will take a series of
    steps in the political, economic, and security areas, and in return, the
    international community will provide Iraq with more robust political and
    economic support.

        During my trip, I was impressed with the Prime Minister, the team he
    has assembled, and the plan he has set for his Government. I appreciate
    his determination and the determination of his Cabinet to make his
    agenda work. I told them that the future of Iraq is in their hands. And
    I told them that America is a nation that keeps its word, and America
    will stand with them as we work toward our shared goal: a free Iraq that
    can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself. By seizing this
    moment of opportunity, we will defeat our common enemies and build a
    lasting democracy in the heart of the Middle East, and that will make
    Americans, Iraqis, and the world more secure.

        I traveled to Baghdad to personally show our Nation's commitment to
    a free Iraq, because it is vital for the Iraqi people to know with
    certainty that America will not abandon them after we have come this
    far. The challenges that remain in Iraq are serious. We face determined
    enemies who remain intent on killing the innocent, and defeating these
    enemies will require more sacrifice and the continued patience of our
    country. But our efforts in Iraq are well worth it. The mission is
    necessary for the security of our country, and we will succeed.

        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:10 a.m. on June 16 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 17. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    June 16 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his
    address, the President referred to senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab
    Al Zarqawi, who was killed in Baquba, Iraq, on June 7; and Prime
    Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Minister of Defense Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji,
    and Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bulani of Iraq. The Office of the
    Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this
    address.