[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 36 (Monday, September 15, 2008)]
[Pages 1188-1192]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the National Defense University

September 9, 2008

    Thank you, General, for your kind and short introduction. [Laughter] 
I am pleased to be back at the National Defense University again. It 
turns out this is my fifth visit as President. Every time I come here, 
I'm inspired and encouraged because of the brave men and women who work 
here. And I really do want to thank you for your warm hospitality.
    Across the world, NDU students and faculty have served with valor in 
the war against these extremists and killers. On this campus, you're 
helping train the next generation of military and civilian leaders who 
will defend our Nation against the real and true threats of the 21st 
century. You've developed new ways for our military and civilian 
personnel to work together to meet the new challenges we face. I thank 
you for your patriotism; I thank you for your hard work; and I thank you 
for your devotion to protecting the American people.
    I thank the Members of the Congress who have joined us, Congressman 
Randy Forbes of Virginia and Congressman Trent Franks of Arizona. Thanks 
for coming.
    I'm going to be talking in a little while about a recommendation I 
have received from the Joint Chiefs. And I'm so pleased that the Vice 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Cartwright is with us today. Thanks 
for coming, Hoss.
    I thank the leadership of the NDU. Thanks for having me again. I 
appreciate the civilian personnel, U.S. Government civilians studying 
here. And I thank those who wear the uniform. You know, one of the great 
things about being the Commander in Chief is to be the Commander in 
Chief of people who have volunteered to serve our country in a time of 
danger. I'm incredibly impressed by our military, and I am thankful to 
our military families.
    You know, last week, a remarkable event took place in Iraq. At a 
ceremony in the city of Ramadi, responsibility for security in Anbar 
Province was transferred to Iraqi civilian authorities. Iraqi forces are 
now leading security operations across Anbar, with American troops in an 
overwatch role. With this transfer of responsibility, the people of 
Anbar took charge of their own security and their own destiny. It's a 
moment of pride for all Iraqis, and it was a moment of success in the 
war on terror.
    Two years ago, such a moment was unimaginable to most. Anbar was one 
of the most dangerous Provinces in Iraq; Al Qaida was in control of 
almost every major population center. They had largely succeeded in 
turning the region into a safe haven, which brought them closer to one 
of their goals: a place from which to launch new attacks against 
America, our allies, and our interests in the region. In 2006, a 
military intelligence report concluded the Province was lost, and Anbar 
was held up as proof of America's failure in Iraq.
    Yet, something remarkable was happening. The tribes in Anbar were 
growing tired of Al Qaida's brutality. They wanted to live a normal 
life, and this presented us with an opportunity to defeat Al Qaida in 
Anbar. Last year, we sent 4,000 additional marines to Anbar as part of 
the surge. The surge showed America's commitment to security. It showed 
we were committed to helping the average citizen in Anbar live a normal 
life. And it helped renew the confidence of local leaders, the tribal 
sheikhs, who then led an uprising to take Anbar back from the 
terrorists. Together, local tribes, Iraqi troops, and American forces 
systematically dismantled Al Qaida control across the Province.
    Today, Anbar is a Province transformed. Attacks in the Province have 
dropped by more than 90 percent. Casualties are down dramatically. 
Virtually every city and town in Anbar now has a mayor and a functioning 
municipal council. Provincial Reconstruction Teams are helping local 
leaders create jobs and economic opportunity. As security has improved, 
reconciliation is taking place across the Province. Today, Anbar is no 
longer lost to Al Qaida; it has been reclaimed by the Iraqi people.
    We're seeing similar gains in other parts of Iraq. Earlier this 
year, the Iraqi Government launched a successful military operation 
against Shi'a extremist groups in places like Basra and Baghdad and al-
Amarah. Iraqi forces are staying on the offense. They are

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pressing the advantage against those who would bring harm and danger to 
their citizens. They're conducting operations in and around the northern 
city of Mosul, where Al Qaida terrorists seek refuge. The Iraqi Army 
recently launched a new offensive against Al Qaida in Diyala Province. 
All these operations are Iraqi-led, with American forces playing a 
supporting role.
    As a result of these and other operations in Iraq, violence is down 
to its lowest point since the spring of 2004. Civilian deaths are down, 
sectarian killings are down, suicide bombings are down, and normal life 
is returning to communities across the country. Provincial 
reconciliation is moving forward. The Iraqi Government has passed 
budgets and major pieces of legislation. Our diplomatic--diplomats 
report that markets once shuttered by terrorist violence are now open 
for business. Yesterday Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus reported 
to me via SVTS that they had just gone into a market area and seen the 
commerce and the activities. The Iraqi Health Ministry issued an 
interesting report that said that hundreds of doctors who had fled the 
fighting have now returned to serve the people of their country.
    The reduced levels of violence in Iraq have been sustained for 
several months. While the progress in Iraq is still fragile and 
reversible, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker report that there 
now appears to be a degree of durability to the gains we have made.
    Here's the bottom line: While the enemy in Iraq dangerous, we have 
seized the offensive. Iraqi forces are becoming increasingly capable of 
leading and winning the fight. As a result, we've been able to carry out 
a policy of return on success, reducing American combat forces in Iraq 
as conditions on the ground continue to improve.
    We've now brought home all five of the Army combat brigades, the 
Marine expeditionary unit, two Marine battalions, that were sent to Iraq 
as part of the surge. I was proud to visit with some of those troops at 
Fort Bragg earlier this year. They are among our Nation's finest 
citizens, and they have earned the gratitude and respect of the American 
people.
    Another aspect of our return on success policy in Iraq is reduced 
combat tours. Last month, troops began deploying for 12-month tours 
instead of 15-month tours. This change will ease the burden on our 
forces, and I think, more importantly, this change will make life for 
our military families easier.
    I'm pleased to announce the next step forward in our policy of 
return on success. General Petraeus has just completed a review of the 
situation in Iraq, and he and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have recommended 
that we move forward with additional force reductions, and I agree. Over 
the next several months, we'll bring home about 3,400 combat support 
forces, including aviation personnel, explosive ordnance teams, combat 
and construction engineers, military police, and logistical support 
forces.
    By November, we'll bring home a Marine battalion that is now serving 
in Anbar Province. And in February of 2009, another Army combat brigade 
will come home. This amounts to about 8,000 additional American troops 
returning home without replacement. And if progress in Iraq continues to 
hold, General Petraeus and our military leaders believe additional 
reductions will be possible in the first half of 2009.
    The progress in Iraq is a credit to the valor of American troops and 
civilians, the valor of Iraqi troops, and the valor of our coalition 
partners. And I thank those who are here from other nations for joining 
us, and I thank you for working with our troops. We welcome you to the 
United States. And we appreciate your working closely with those who 
wear the uniform.
    Since Operation Iraqi Freedom began--I want our fellow citizens to 
hear this fact--more than 140,000 troops from 41 countries have served 
as part of our coalition in Iraq. Sons and daughters of Australia, 
Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, 
El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, the 
Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, 
and Ukraine have given their lives in the fight against the extremists. 
The citizens of these countries have sacrificed for the cause of freedom 
in Iraq. America has been proud to serve alongside such courageous 
allies.
    I congratulate our coalition partners on their historic 
accomplishments in Iraq and

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for maintaining their resolve during the dark days. Thanks to their 
determined work and the growing capability of Iraqi forces, many of our 
partners in Iraq are now in a position to return on success as well. 
Australia has withdrawn its battle group, the Polish contingent is set 
to redeploy shortly, and many more coalition nations will be able to 
conclude their deployments to Iraq this year, thanks to the skill of 
their troops and the success of their missions.
    The important task in the period ahead will be to work toward the 
conclusion of a strategic framework agreement and a status of forces 
agreement between the United States and Iraq. These agreements will 
serve as the foundation for America's continued security support to Iraq 
once the United Nations resolution authorizing the multinational forces 
there expires on December 31st of this year. They will allow us to 
establish a bilateral relationship between the United States and Iraq 
like those we have with dozens of other countries around the world.
    Early on in this struggle, I made clear that America's goal in Iraq 
was to help the Iraqi people build a democratic nation that can govern 
itself, sustain itself, and defend itself. And thanks to the success of 
the surge, Iraq is making steady progress toward that goal. The steps 
I've described here at NDU will help us build on this success. It will 
set America's engagement in Iraq on a strong and steady course, and it 
will allow our troops to come home in victory.
    Al Qaida's leaders have repeatedly declared that Iraq is the central 
front of their war with America, but it is not the only front. As Al 
Qaida faces increased pressure in Iraq, the terrorists are stepping up 
their efforts on the front where this struggle first began, the nation 
of Afghanistan.
    After September the 11th, 2001, coalition forces destroyed the 
Taliban regime. We drove Al Qaida from the Afghan sanctuary where they 
had plotted and planned unprecedented attacks on our country. We helped 
Afghans begin to build a new democracy. Together with our military, 
American civilian experts helped the Afghan people build their economy 
and provide basic services and expand health care, as well as opened up 
schools for Afghan girls and boys.
    These were important successes. Yet, the enemies of a free 
Afghanistan refused to give up the fight. They sought to undermine the 
democratic government so they could regain the place of dominance they 
enjoyed in Afghanistan before September the 11th. With the help of their 
sanctuary in Pakistan, they ruthlessly attack innocent Afghans across 
the country.
    As the security situation changed, America and our coalition 
partners responded with troop increases. At the NATO summit in Bucharest 
in April, I told our allies the United States was deploying 3,500 more 
marines to Afghanistan, and that we would make additional forces 
available in 2009. I also called on allies to increase their force 
levels. And during the past year, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, 
Bulgaria, Romania, Australia, Germany, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and 
others have sent additional forces to support the NATO mission in 
Afghanistan.
    These troop increases represent a quiet surge in Afghanistan. In 
all, the number of American troops in the country increased from less 
than 21,000 2 years ago to nearly 31,000 today. The number of coalition 
troops, including NATO troops, increased from about 20,000 to about 
31,000. And the number of trained Afghan Army and police forces 
increased from less than 67,000 to nearly 144,000.
    These troop increases have made a difference, yet huge challenges in 
Afghanistan remain. This is a vast country. And unlike Iraq, it has few 
natural resources and has an underdeveloped infrastructure. Its 
democratic institutions are fragile. Its enemies are some of the most 
hardened terrorists and extremists in the world. With their brutal 
attacks, the Taliban and terrorists have made some progress in shaking 
the confidence of the Afghan people. And in the face of all these 
challenges, the Afghan people are naturally questioning what their 
future looks like.
    Afghanistan's success is critical to the security of America and our 
partners in the free world. For all the good work we've done in that 
country, it is clear we must do even more. As we learned in Iraq, the 
best way to restore the confidence of the people is to restore basic 
security, and that requires more troops. I'm announcing today additional

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American troop deployments to Afghanistan. In November, a Marine 
battalion that was scheduled to deploy to Iraq will instead deploy to 
Afghanistan. It will be followed in January by an Army combat brigade.
    The mission of these forces will be to work with the Afghan forces 
to provide security for the Afghan people, protect Afghanistan's 
infrastructure and democratic institutions, and help ensure access to 
services like education and health care. They will show the citizens of 
Afghanistan that the Government and its partners will stand with them in 
the battle against the Taliban and the extremists. They will help 
clarify a stark contrast in Afghanistan: While the terrorists and 
extremists deliberately target and murder the innocent, coalition and 
Afghan forces risk their lives to protect the innocent.
    Regrettably, there will be times when our pursuit of the enemy 
result--will result in accidental civilian deaths. This has been the 
case throughout the history of warfare. Our Nation mourns the loss of 
every innocent life. Every grieving family has the sympathy of the 
American people. And I've given President Karzai my word that America 
will work closely with the Afghan Government to ensure the security of 
the Afghan people while protecting innocent life.
    As we deploy these reinforcements, America will take new steps to 
help the Afghan Government mobilize more forces of its own. Afghan 
fighters are good fighters. If you talk to people who have been in 
Afghanistan, they'll tell you the Afghan troops are courageous; they 
just need some help. Along with the Afghan Government, the United States 
and our allies are now launching a new initiative to double the size of 
the Afghan National Army over the next 5 years. We'll also work to 
increase the involvement of Afghan tribes. Local Afghan forces were key 
to our successes in 2001 and 2002, when we combined the 21st century 
capabilities of the American military with the courage of Afghan 
fighters on horseback. In the period ahead, we will once again encourage 
Afghan security forces and Afghan tribes to take a leading role in the 
building of a democratic Afghanistan. The Taliban and Al Qaida will not 
be allowed to return to power. The terrorists will suffer the same fate 
in Afghanistan that they are now suffering in Iraq, and they will be 
defeated.
    In addition to these new military measures, we're stepping up 
efforts on the civilian side. We're increasing our civilian presence 
with new personnel from USAID and the Drug Enforcement Agency, as well 
as the Foreign Service. We're using Provincial Reconstruction Teams of 
military and civilian experts to help local communities fight 
corruption, improve governance, and jump-start their economies. We're 
using agricultural development teams to help Afghan farmers feed their 
people and become more self-sufficient. We're supporting Afghanistan's 
National Development Strategy, which helps the democratic Government in 
Kabul offer greater support for the Provinces in areas like health and 
infrastructure.
    We're working with the Afghan authorities to prepare for elections 
of 2009 and 2010. Recently at an international conference in Paris, 
America pledged $10 billion over the next 2 years to support 
Afghanistan's development. In all these ways, we're working to ensure 
that our military progress is accompanied by the political and economic 
gains that are critical to the success of a free Afghanistan.
    As we take these new steps in Afghanistan, we must also help the 
Government of Pakistan defeat Taliban and Al Qaida fighters hiding in 
remote border regions of their country. These extremists are 
increasingly using Pakistan as a base from which to destabilize 
Afghanistan's young democracy. In the past year, the Taliban, Al Qaida, 
and other extremist groups operating in these remote regions have 
stepped up their attacks against the Pakistani Government, hoping to 
stop that country's democratic progress as well.
    This morning I called Pakistan's newly elected leader, President 
Zardari. I pledged the full support of America's Government as Pakistan 
takes the fight to the terrorists and extremists in the border regions.
    Defeating these terrorist and extremists is in Pakistan's interest, 
they pose a mortal threat to Pakistan's future as a free and democratic 
nation. Defeating these terrorist and extremists is also Pakistan's 
responsibility, because every nation has an obligation to govern its own 
territory and make certain

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that it does not become a safe haven for terror. America and our NATO 
allies will continue helping Pakistan in its efforts to defeat the 
extremists. The same terrorists who murdered innocent civilians in 
Karachi and Islamabad are plotting new attacks against the United States 
and Europe.
    Each of these three places I've discussed today--Iraq, Afghanistan, 
and parts of Pakistan--pose unique challenges for our country. Yet, 
they're all theaters in the same overall struggle. In all three places, 
extremists are using violence and terror in an attempt to impose their 
ideology on whole populations. They murder to impose their dark vision 
of the world. In all three places, America is standing strongly with 
brave elected leaders and determined reformers and millions of ordinary 
citizens who seek a future of liberty and justice and tolerance.
    Defeating our enemies requires success on the military front. 
Together with our allies, we've made substantial progress toward 
breaking up terrorist networks, and we will not rest until they are 
destroyed. Defeating our enemies also requires success in the 
ideological battle. We must show the people of the broader Middle East a 
better alternative to a life of violence and despair, and that 
alternative is based on liberty. History shows that people who are given 
the choice between freedom and tyranny will choose freedom. And history 
shows that freedom will yield the peace we all want.
    There will be difficult moments in the work ahead, and yet we can be 
confident in the outcome. With faith in the power of freedom, we will 
transform nations that once harbored our enemies into strong and capable 
allies in the war on terror. With faith in the power of freedom, we will 
prove that the future of the Middle East belongs not to terror, but to 
liberty. And with faith in the power of freedom, we will leave behind a 
safer and more peaceful world for our children and our grandchildren.
    I thank you for all you do to keep America safe. I thank you for 
your service in freedom's cause. May God bless you, your families, and 
our country.

Note: The President spoke at 9:57 a.m. in Eisenhower Hall. In his 
remarks, he referred to Lt. Gen. Frances C. Wilson, USMC, president, 
National Defense University, who introduced the president; Gen. David H. 
Petraeus, USA, commanding general, Multi-National Force--Iraq; President 
Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan; and President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan. 
The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
transcript of these remarks.