[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 14 (Monday, April 14, 2008)]
[Pages 506-510]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the War on Terror

April 10, 2008

    Thank you. Please be seated. Good morning. Fifteen months ago, I 
announced the surge. And this week, General Petraeus and Ambassador 
Crocker gave Congress a detailed report on the results.
    The immediate goal of the surge was to bring down the sectarian 
violence that threatened to overwhelm the Government in Baghdad, restore 
basic security to Iraqi communities, and drive the terrorists out of 
their

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safe havens. As General Petraeus told Congress, American and Iraqi 
forces have made significant progress in all these areas. While there is 
more to be done, sectarian violence is down dramatically. Civilian 
deaths and military deaths are also down. Many neighborhoods once 
controlled by Al Qaida have been liberated. And cooperation from Iraqis 
is stronger than ever, with more tips from residents, more Iraqis 
joining their security forces, and a growing movement against Al Qaida 
called the Sons of Iraq.
    Improvements in security have helped clear the way for political and 
economic developments described by Ambassador Crocker. These gains 
receive less media coverage, but they are vital to Iraq's future. At the 
local level, businesses are reopening, and Provincial councils are 
meeting. At the national level, there's much work ahead, but the Iraqi 
Government has passed a budget and three major benchmark laws. The 
national Government is sharing oil revenues with the Provinces. And many 
economic indicators in Iraq, from oil production to inflation, are now 
pointed in the right direction.
    Serious and complex challenges remain in Iraq, from the presence of 
Al Qaida to the destructive influence of Iran to hard compromises needed 
for further political progress. Yet with the surge, a major strategic 
shift has occurred. Fifteen months ago, America and the Iraqi Government 
were on the defensive. Today, we have the initiative. Fifteen months 
ago, extremists were sowing sectarian violence. Today, many mainstream 
Sunni and Shi'a are actively confronting the extremists. Fifteen months 
ago, Al Qaida had bases in Iraq that it was using to kill our troops and 
terrorize the Iraqi people. Today, we have put Al Qaida on the defensive 
in Iraq, and we're now working to deliver a crippling blow. Fifteen 
months ago, Americans were worried about the prospect of failure in 
Iraq. Today, thanks to the surge, we've renewed and revived the prospect 
of success.
    With this goal in mind, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker have 
submitted recommendations on the way forward. After detailed discussions 
with my national security team, including the Secretary of Defense, 
Secretary of State, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I've accepted these 
recommendations.
    A recommendation likely to receive the most attention is on troop 
levels. General Petraeus has reported that security conditions have 
improved enough to withdraw all five surge brigades by the end of July. 
That means that by July 31st, the number of U.S. combat brigades in Iraq 
will be down by 25 percent from last year.
    Beyond that, General Petraeus says he'll need time to consolidate 
his forces and assess how this reduced American presence will affect 
conditions on the ground before making measured recommendations on 
further reductions. And I've told him he'll have all the time he needs.
    Some have suggested that this period of evaluation will be a pause. 
That's misleading, because none of our operations in Iraq will be on 
hold. Instead, we will use the months ahead to take advantage of the 
opportunities created by the surge and continue operations across the 
board.
    All our efforts are aimed at a clear goal: a free Iraq that can 
protect its people, support itself economically, and take charge of its 
own political affairs. No one wants to achieve this goal more than the 
Iraqis themselves. Those who say that the way to encourage further 
progress is to back off and force the Iraqis to fend for themselves are 
simply wrong. The Iraqis are a proud people who understand the enormity 
of the challenges they face and are anxious to meet them. But they know 
that they still need our help until they can stand by themselves. Our 
job in the period ahead is to stand with the Iraqi Government as it 
makes tough choices and makes the transition to responsibility for its 
own security and its own destiny.
    So what will the transition look like? On the security front, thanks 
to the significant progress General Petraeus reported this week, it is 
clear that we're on the right track. In the period ahead, we will stay 
on the offense against the enemy. As we speak, U.S. Special Forces are 
launching multiple operations every night to capture or kill Al Qaida 
leaders in Iraq. Coalition and Iraqi forces are also stepping up 
conventional operations against Al Qaida in northern Iraq, where 
terrorists have concentrated after being largely pushed from central and 
western Iraq. And Prime Minister Maliki's Government

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launched operations in Basra that make clear a free Iraq will no longer 
tolerate the lawlessness by Iranian-backed militants.
    In the period ahead, we'll also continue to train, equip, and 
support the Iraqi security forces, continue to transfer security 
responsibilities to them as Provinces become ready and move over time 
into an overwatch role. The Iraqi Army and police are increasingly 
capable and leading the fight to secure their country. As Iraqis assume 
the primary role in providing security, American forces will 
increasingly focus on targeted raids against the terrorists and 
extremists. They will continue training Iraqi forces, and they will be 
available to help Iraq's security forces if required.
    On the economic front, Iraq is moving forward. With Iraq's economy 
growing, oil revenues on the rise, and its capital investment expanding, 
our economic role in the country is changing. Iraqis, in their recent 
budget, would outspend us on reconstruction by more than 10 to 1. And 
American funding for large-scale reconstruction projects is approaching 
zero. Our share of Iraq's security costs will drop as well, as Iraqis 
pay for the vast majority of their own army and police. And that's the 
way it should be. Ultimately, we expect Iraq to shoulder the full burden 
of these costs. In the period ahead, Iraq's economy will increasingly 
move away from American assistance, rely on private investment, and 
stand on its own.
    On the political front, Iraq has seen bottom-up progress, as tribes 
and other groups in the Provinces who fought terror are now turning to 
rebuilding local political structures and taking charge of their own 
affairs. Progress in the Provinces is leading to progress in Baghdad, as 
Iraqi leaders increasingly act together, they share power, and they 
forge compromises on behalf of the nation. Upcoming elections will 
consolidate this progress. They'll provide a way for Iraqis to settle 
disputes through the political process instead of through violence. 
Iraqis plan to hold Provincial elections later this year, and these 
elections will be followed by national elections in 2009.
    On the diplomatic front, Iraq will increase its engagement in the 
world, and the world must increase its engagement with Iraq. To help in 
this effort, I'm directing Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus to 
visit Saudi Arabia on their trip back to Iraq. I'm directing our 
Nation's senior diplomats to meet with the leaders in Jordan, the UAE, 
and Qatar and Kuwait and Egypt. In each capital, they will brief them on 
the situation in Iraq and encourage these nations to reopen their 
Embassies in Baghdad and increase their overall support for Iraq. This 
will be followed by Secretary Rice's trip to the third Expanded 
Neighbors Conference in Kuwait City and the second International Compact 
with Iraq meeting in Stockholm.
    A stable, successful, independent Iraq is in the strategic interests 
of Arab nations. And all who want peace in the Middle East should 
support a stable, democratic Iraq. And we will urge all nations to 
increase their support this year.
    The regime in Tehran also has a choice to make. It can live in peace 
with its neighbor, enjoy strong economic and cultural and religious 
ties, or it can continue to arm and train and fund illegal militant 
groups which are terrorizing the Iraqi people and turning them against 
Iran. If Iran makes the right choice, America will encourage a peaceful 
relationship between Iran and Iraq. If Iran makes the wrong choice, 
America will act to protect our interests and our troops and our Iraqi 
partners.
    On each of these fronts, security, economic, political, and 
diplomatic, Iraqis are stepping forward to assume more responsibility 
for the welfare of their people and the fate of their country. In all 
these fronts, America will continue to play an increasingly supporting 
role.
    Our work in Iraq will still demand sacrifices from our whole Nation, 
especially our military, for some time to come. To ease the burden on 
our troops and their families, I've directed the Secretary of Defense to 
reduce deployment lengths from 15 months to 12 months for all active 
Army soldiers deploying to the Central Command area of operations. These 
changes will be effective for those deploying after August 1st. We'll 
also ensure that our Army units will have at least a year home for every 
year in the field. Our Nation

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owes a special thanks to the soldiers and families who've supported this 
extended deployment. And we owe a special thanks to all who serve in the 
cause of freedom in Iraq.
    The stress on our force is real, but the Joint Chiefs have assured 
me that an all-volunteer force--our All-Volunteer Force is strong and 
resilient enough to fight and win this war on terror. The trends in Iraq 
are positive. Our troops want to win. Recruiting and retention have 
remained strong during the surge. And I believe this: I believe the 
surest way to depress morale and weaken the force would be to lose in 
Iraq.
    One key to ensuring that our military remains ready is to provide 
the resources they need promptly. Congress will soon consider a vital 
emergency war funding request. Members of Congress must pass a bill that 
provides our troops the resources they need and does not tie the hands 
of our commanders or impose artificial timelines for withdrawal. This 
bill must also be fiscally responsible. It must not exceed the 
reasonable $108 billion request I sent to Congress months ago. If the 
bill meets all these requirements, it will be a strong show of support 
for our troops. If it doesn't, I'll veto it.
    Some in Washington argue that the war costs too much money. There's 
no doubt that the costs of this war have been high. But during other 
major conflicts in our history, the relative cost has been even higher. 
Now, think about the cold war. During the Truman and Eisenhower 
administrations, our defense budget rose as high as 13 percent of our 
total economy. Even during the Reagan administration, when our economy 
expanded significantly, the defense budget still accounted for about 6 
percent of GDP. Our citizens recognized that the imperative of stopping 
Soviet expansion justified this expense.
    Today, we face an enemy that is not only expansionist in its aims 
but has actually attacked our homeland and intends to do so again. Yet 
our defense budget accounts for just over 4 percent of our economy, less 
than our commitment at any point during the four decades of the cold 
war. This is still a large amount of money, but it is modest--a modest 
fraction of our Nation's wealth, and it pales when compared to the cost 
of another terrorist attack on our people.
    We should be able to agree that this is a burden worth bearing. And 
we should be able to agree that our national interest require the 
success of our mission in Iraq.
    Iraq is the convergence point for two of the greatest threats to 
America in this new century: Al Qaida and Iran. If we fail there, Al 
Qaida would claim a propaganda victory of colossal proportions, and they 
could gain safe havens in Iraq from which to attack the United States, 
our friends, and our allies. Iran would work to fill the vacuum in Iraq, 
and our failure would embolden its radical leaders and fuel their 
ambitions to dominate the region. The Taliban in Afghanistan and Al 
Qaida in Pakistan would grow in confidence and boldness. And violent 
extremists around the world would draw the same dangerous lesson they 
did from our retreats in Somalia and Vietnam. This would diminish our 
Nation's standing in the world and lead to massive humanitarian 
casualties and increase the threat of another terrorist attack on our 
homeland.
    On the other hand, if we succeed in Iraq, after all that Al Qaida 
and Iran have invested there, it would be an historic blow to the global 
terrorist movement and a severe setback for Iran. It would demonstrate 
to a watching world that mainstream Arabs reject the ideology of Al 
Qaida and mainstream Shi'a reject the ideology of Iran's radical regime. 
It would give America a new partner with a growing economy and a 
democratic political system in which Sunnis and Shi'a and Kurds all work 
together for the good of their country. And in all these ways, it would 
bring us closer to our most important goal: making the American people 
safer here at home.
    I want to say a word to our troops and civilians in Iraq. You've 
performed with incredible skill under demanding circumstances. The 
turnaround you have made possible in Iraq is a brilliant achievement in 
American history. And while this war is difficult, it is not endless. 
And we expect that as conditions on the ground continue to improve, they 
will permit us to continue the policy of return on success. The day will 
come when Iraq is a capable partner of the United States. The day will 
come when Iraq is a stable democracy that helps fight our

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common enemies and promote our common interests in the Middle East. And 
when that day arrives, you'll come home with pride in your success and 
the gratitude of your whole Nation. God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:24 a.m. in the Cross Hall at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Gen. David H. Petraeus, USA, 
commanding general, Multi-National Force--Iraq; and Prime Minister Nuri 
al-Maliki of Iraq.