[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 38 (Monday, September 24, 2007)]
[Pages 1218-1219]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Teleconference Remarks With Provincial Reconstruction Team Leaders and 
Brigade Combat Commanders in Iraq

September 17, 2007

    Secretary Rice and Secretary Gates, General Pace, members of my 
national security team have just listened to some briefings from 
Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq. I want to thank our fellow 
citizens for serving on the frontline of--in this war against extremists 
and radicals. I appreciate their dedication, and I appreciate the 
sacrifice of their families.
    General Odierno just briefed us on an interesting statistic. He said 
that for the week of September 8-15, attack levels across Iraq are the 
lowest they have been since January of 2006, which, of course, is a time 
prior to the Samarra bombing. And when you couple that with the 
grassroots efforts that our PRT--Provincial Reconstruction Teams are 
making, you begin to get a sense of why I'm confident that we can 
succeed in Iraq, why I believe that the efforts that we're making toward 
making sure that an extremists like Al Qaida doesn't have safe haven 
from which to plot attacks and, at the same time, helping people realize 
the blessings of liberty, which will yield long-term peace, can happen, 
can succeed.
    And so I told the folks there that, on behalf of a grateful nation, 
that we thank them for what they're doing. And I look forward to further 
discussions with those who actually see the progress that is taking 
place, with those who are living amongst the people and can report 
firsthand that the success that was reported on by General Petraeus and 
Ambassador Crocker now happens on a--is happening on a daily basis.
    Now, there's no question, we got more work to be done. But the 
question I always ask myself is, is the mission important to the 
security of the United States? And the answer is, absolutely. And can we 
be successful? And the answer to that is, yes, we can.
    And I want to thank you all very much for seeing to it that we will 
be successful. Thank you for your time, and we ask for God's blessings 
on you.
    Thank you.

Note: The teleconference began at 10:10 a.m. The President spoke from 
the Roosevelt Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to 
Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, USA, commanding general, Multi-National 
Corps--Iraq; and Gen. David H. Petraeus, USA, commanding general, Multi-
National Force--Iraq.

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