    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 12 (Monday, March 26, 2007)]
    [Pages 350-351]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks on the Fourth Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq

    March 19, 2007

        Good morning. Four years ago today, coalition forces launched
    Operation Iraqi Freedom to remove Saddam Hussein from power. They did so
    to eliminate the threat his regime posed to the Middle East and to the
    world. Coalition forces carried out that mission with great courage and
    skill. Today, the world is rid of Saddam Hussein, and a tyrant has been
    held to account for his crimes by his own people.
        Nearly 12 million Iraqis have voted in free elections under a
    democratic Constitution that they wrote for themselves. And their
    democratic leaders are now working to build a free society that upholds
    the rule of law, that respects the rights of its people, that provides
    them security, and is an ally in the war on terror.
        At this point in the war, our most important mission is helping the
    Iraqis secure their capital. Until Baghdad's citizens feel secure in
    their own homes and neighborhoods, it will be difficult for Iraqis to
    make further progress toward political reconciliation or economic
    rebuilding, steps necessary for Iraq to build a democratic society.
        So with our help, Iraq's Government is carrying out an aggressive
    plan to secure Baghdad. And we're continuing to train the Iraqi security
    forces so that they ultimately take full responsibility for the security
    of their own people.
        I've just received an update on the situation from Iraqi Prime
    Minister Maliki. My conversation with the Prime Minister followed a
    briefing earlier this morning that included Secretary Rice and Secretary
    Gates, along with General Petraeus and Ambassador Khalilzad, who
    participated by video conference from Iraq.
        Prime Minister Maliki and General Petraeus emphasized that the
    Baghdad security plan is still in its early stages, and success will
    take months, not days or weeks. Yet those on the ground are seeing some
    hopeful signs. The Iraqi Government has completed the deployment of
    three Iraqi Army brigades to the capital, where they've joined the seven
    Iraqi Army brigades and nine National Police brigades that were already
    in the area.
        The Iraqi Government has also lifted restrictions that once
    prevented Iraqi and coalition forces from going into areas like Sadr
    City. American and Iraqi forces have established joint security
    stations. Those stations are scattered throughout Baghdad, and they're
    helping Iraqis reclaim their neighborhoods from the terrorists and
    extremists.
        Together we've carried out aggressive operations against both Shi'a
    and Sunni extremists, carried out operations against Al Qaida

    [[Page 351]]

    terrorists. We've uncovered large caches of weapons and destroyed two
    major car bomb factories that were located on the outskirts of Baghdad.
        I want to stress that this operation is still in the early stages;
    it's still in the beginning stages. Fewer than half of the troop
    reinforcements we are sending have arrived in Baghdad. The new strategy
    will need more time to take effect. And there will be good days, and
    there will be bad days ahead as it--as the security plan unfolds.
        As we help the Iraqis secure their capital, their leaders are also
    beginning to meet the benchmarks they have laid out for political
    reconciliation. Last month, Iraq's Council of Ministers approved a law
    that would share oil revenues among Iraqi people. The Iraqi legislature
    passed a $41 billion budget that includes $10 billion for reconstruction
    and capital improvements. And last week, Prime Minister Maliki visited
    Ramadi, a city in the Sunni heartland, to reach out to local Sunni
    tribal leaders.
        There's been good progress. There's a lot more work to be done. And
    Iraq's leaders must continue to work to meet the benchmarks they have
    set forward.
        As Iraqis work to keep their commitments, we have important
    commitments of our own. Members of Congress are now considering an
    emergency war spending bill. They have a responsibility to ensure that
    this bill provides the funds and the flexibility that our troops need to
    accomplish their mission. They have a responsibility to pass a clean
    bill that does not use funding for our troops as leverage to get special
    interest spending for their districts. And they have a responsibility to
    get this bill to my desk, without strings and without delay.
        It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude
    our best option is to pack up and go home. That may be satisfying in the
    short run, but I believe the consequences for American security would be
    devastating. If American forces were to step back from Baghdad before it
    is more secure, a contagion of violence could spill out across the
    entire country. In time, this violence could engulf the region. The
    terrorists could emerge from the chaos with a safe haven in Iraq to
    replace the one they had in Afghanistan, which they used to plan the
    attacks of September the 11th, 2001. For the safety of the American
    people, we cannot allow this to happen.
        Prevailing in Iraq is not going to be easy. General Petraeus says
    that the environment in Iraq is the most challenging that he has seen in
    his more than 32 years of service. He also says that he has been
    impressed by the professionalism and the skill and determination of our
    men and women in uniform. He sees in our troops, quote, ``a true will to
    win and a sincere desire to help our Iraqi partners achieve success.''
        Four years after this war began, the fight is difficult, but it can
    be won. It will be won if we have the courage and resolve to see it
    through. I'm grateful to our service men and women for all they've done
    and for the honor they've brought to their uniform and their country.
    I'm grateful to our military families and for all the sacrifices they
    have made for our country. We also hold in our hearts the good men and
    women who've given their lives in this struggle. We pray for the loved
    ones they have left behind.
        The United States military is the most capable and courageous
    fighting force in the world. And whatever our differences in Washington,
    our troops and their families deserve the appreciation and the support
    of our entire Nation.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:30 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Defense Robert
    M. Gates; and Gen. David H. Petraeus, USA, commanding general, Multi-
    National Force--Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a
    Spanish language transcript of these remarks.