[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.