By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 12, 2008 - The situation in Iraq has improved significantly over the past year, and that progress is enabling some U.S. troops to return home, President Bush today told reporters in Kuwait. "Iraq is now a different place from one year ago. Much hard work remains, but levels of violence are significantly reduced," Bush, who is continuing his week-long trip across the Middle East, told reporters at Camp Arifjan.
The president had previously met in Kuwait with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq. Petraeus's "surge" strategy of adding 30,000 troops to pursue insurgents and disrupt their operations and the emergence of anti-al Qaeda concerned citizens groups in Anbar province and other areas are credited for reducing the violence across Iraq in recent months.
"Hope is returning to Baghdad, and hope is returning to towns and villages throughout the country," Bush said. Iraqis who had fled the violence "are beginning to return and rebuild their lives," the president added.
Al Qaeda in Iraq remain dangerous, but the terror group has been dealt "heavy blows" in recent months, Bush said, by U.S., coalition and Iraqi security forces, as well as the concerned citizens groups. Terrorists now face "a growing uprising of ordinary Iraqis who want to lead peaceful lives," Bush said.
The president also pointed to evidence revealing Iranian complicity in stoking violence and unrest in Iraq. "Iran's role in fomenting violence has been exposed. Iranian agents are in our custody, and we are learning more about how Iran has supported extremist groups with training and lethal aid," Bush said.
However, Iraqi soldiers and police have taken more responsibility for security in their country over the past year and have targeted the terrorists with a surge of 100,000 additional forces, the president said.
Additionally, "tens of thousands of concerned local citizens are protecting their communities, and working with coalition and Iraqi forces to ensure al Qaeda cannot return," Bush said. The Iraqi government is distributing oil-generated revenue across the country, he noted, to fuel reconstruction projects to follow the security gains.
"And, from Kirkuk to Ramadi, to Karbala to Baghdad, the people of Iraq – Sunni, Shiia and Kurd – are coming together at the grassroots (level) to build a common future," the president said.
The improvement in the situation is enabling the redeployment of some U.S. forces from Iraq, Bush said, noting that an Army brigade and a Marine expeditionary unit have already departed without being replaced.
"In the coming months, four additional brigades and two Marine battalions will follow suit," Bush said. Any future troop reductions, he said, would be based on Petraeus's recommendations, which in turn would be predicated according to conditions on the ground.
Petraeus will continue to monitor the situation, Bush said, noting the general is slated to provide another Iraq report to Congress in March.
Bush said he supported Petraeus's surge strategy to reduce insurgent violence in Iraq because he believed that if the Iraqis were "given a chance to live in a free society, they'll do the hard work necessary to live in a free society."
The Iraqi government is moving forward in passing legislation to bring the country together, but more work needs to be done, Bush said. However, good progress is being made, he said, in view of the fact that the Iraqis have had to transition from Saddam Hussein's despotic rule to a democratic government virtually overnight.
The international community must remain engaged in helping the new Iraq get onto its feet, Bush said.
"We must do all we can to ensure that 2008 brings even more progress for Iraq's young democracy," the president said, and he promised the United States would continue to assist Iraq.
"Long-term success in Iraq is vital to our friends here in the (Mideast) region and to America's national security," Bush said. "And, long-term success will require active U.S. engagement that outlasts my presidency."
Bush said the U.S. relationship with the new Iraq will feature diplomatic, economic and security components and "will strengthen a democracy that serves its people, fights terrorists and serves as a beacon of freedom for millions across the Middle East."
Showing posts with label strategy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strategy. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
One Year Later, New Iraq Strategy Showing Successes
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2008 - President Bush's new strategy for Iraq, announced one year ago today during a televised speech to the nation, is accomplishing many of its goals and laying important groundwork for initiatives yet to be fulfilled, military and defense officials agree. Bush unveiled the strategy amid growing sectarian violence that he acknowledged had overwhelmed Iraqis' political gains and created an "unacceptable" situation in Iraq. The plan called for more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops on the ground in Baghdad and Anbar province, increased responsibility for the Iraqi government and Iraqi security forces, and more diplomatic and economic initiatives.
A year later, officials cite solid evidence that the strategy has achieved what Bush called the most urgent priority in Iraq: to stop the violence and create the stability needed for the country's new government to succeed.
Last month, during his sixth visit to Baghdad since taking office, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates noted vast security improvements under the strategy. He cited "recent months of dramatic change in the security situation across the nation, a decline in violence to levels not seen since the Samarra mosque bombing nearly two years ago" during a joint news conference with Iraqi Defense Minister Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji on Dec. 5.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, reported in his end-of-year letter to troops in Iraq that attacks per week are down about 60 percent from June 2007 and are now at a level last seen consistently in the early summer of 2005.
Petraeus also noted that civilian deaths are down approximately 75 percent from a year ago, dropping to a level not seen since the beginning of 2006. In addition, coalition forces found and cleared more than 6,658 weapons caches in 2007, well over twice the amount cleared in 2006.
Bush cautioned when he announced the strategy that it wouldn't bring an immediate end to violence in Iraq. "Our enemies in Iraq will make every effort to ensure that our television screens are filled with images of death and suffering," he said. "Yet, over time, we can expect to see Iraqi troops chasing down murderers, fewer brazen acts of terror, and growing trust and cooperation from Baghdad's residents."
Petraeus told the Pentagon Channel this week that the new strategy in Iraq -- with more coalition and Iraqi troops helping quell violence in and around Baghdad and operations that promote closer cooperation with the Iraqi population -- has helped stabilize once-violent areas.
Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, said during a Jan. 8 conference call with military analysts that by living, eating and patrolling with Iraqi forces throughout the country, U.S. troops are getting known by the Iraqi people they are working to protect. "When I go out on a patrol, the Iraqis will start asking about folks who aren't with us," Odierno said. "They'll ask 'Where's Sergeant Z today?' And they actually ask why that person isn't out. So the relationships are building."
This presence helped gain the trust and confidence of the Iraqi people, and ultimately, their support as well, Petraeus told the Pentagon Channel. They began "turning in the bad guys in their midst, ... pointing out the weapons caches or identifying improvised explosive devices, and ultimately volunteering to help with security as neighborhood watches, concerned local citizens and so forth," he said.
Bush emphasized a year ago that a successful strategy for Iraq goes beyond military operations. "Ordinary Iraqi citizens must see that military operations are accompanied by visible improvements in their neighborhoods and communities," he said.
This week, the president hailed provincial reconstruction teams operating in Iraq as vital partners in the strategy that has improved security and helped create conditions for the Iraqi government to succeed. Speaking in the White House Rose Garden after a Jan. 8 meeting with PRT members and their brigade commanders, Bush praised the members for progress they've helped make possible during the past year and emphasized the important work they're doing in communities throughout Iraq.
Bush called the PRTs an important part of the strategy that ensures terrorists don't succeed in Iraq and that the Iraqi people are able to live in peace. He praised PRT members who "are helping improve the lives of citizens they never met before" as they serve on the front lines in the war on terror.
"In so doing, they're making this country more secure, and they're helping lay down a foundation for peace," he said.
A year ago, Bush said introducing the new strategy and bumping up the U.S. troop presence would help the Iraqis succeed so U.S. troops can begin drawing down. "If we increase our support at this crucial moment and help the Iraqis break the current cycle of violence, we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home," he said.
Petraeus noted this week that the drawdown already is beginning. With one brigade combat team and a Marine expeditionary unit already gone without being replaced, and four more BCTs and two Marine battalions to leave by late July, he said he believes there's "a solid plan" to maintain the momentum they helped to build.
Petraeus said he's buoyed by successes made and momentum built, but recognizes the job is far from over. "There will be more tough moments ... and bad days" as the coalition and Iraqis continue to pursue extremists and prevent them from establishing new safe havens," he said. "There are some tough enemies out there, and innumerable obstacles and challenges.
"So it will not be easy," he added. "But we believe that we can indeed continue to build on what we have accomplished so far."
Bush emphasized last year the importance of the mission in Iraq to security in the region and in the United States. He said the struggle there "will determine the direction of the global war on terror and our safety here at home."
Petraeus said this week he's hopeful others will be able "to see that there is progress, to see that there is hope, and decide to continue to support what is really a very, very important endeavor for the United States, ... for all the countries of the coalition, ... and of course, (for) Iraq and the region."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2008 - President Bush's new strategy for Iraq, announced one year ago today during a televised speech to the nation, is accomplishing many of its goals and laying important groundwork for initiatives yet to be fulfilled, military and defense officials agree. Bush unveiled the strategy amid growing sectarian violence that he acknowledged had overwhelmed Iraqis' political gains and created an "unacceptable" situation in Iraq. The plan called for more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops on the ground in Baghdad and Anbar province, increased responsibility for the Iraqi government and Iraqi security forces, and more diplomatic and economic initiatives.
A year later, officials cite solid evidence that the strategy has achieved what Bush called the most urgent priority in Iraq: to stop the violence and create the stability needed for the country's new government to succeed.
Last month, during his sixth visit to Baghdad since taking office, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates noted vast security improvements under the strategy. He cited "recent months of dramatic change in the security situation across the nation, a decline in violence to levels not seen since the Samarra mosque bombing nearly two years ago" during a joint news conference with Iraqi Defense Minister Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji on Dec. 5.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, reported in his end-of-year letter to troops in Iraq that attacks per week are down about 60 percent from June 2007 and are now at a level last seen consistently in the early summer of 2005.
Petraeus also noted that civilian deaths are down approximately 75 percent from a year ago, dropping to a level not seen since the beginning of 2006. In addition, coalition forces found and cleared more than 6,658 weapons caches in 2007, well over twice the amount cleared in 2006.
Bush cautioned when he announced the strategy that it wouldn't bring an immediate end to violence in Iraq. "Our enemies in Iraq will make every effort to ensure that our television screens are filled with images of death and suffering," he said. "Yet, over time, we can expect to see Iraqi troops chasing down murderers, fewer brazen acts of terror, and growing trust and cooperation from Baghdad's residents."
Petraeus told the Pentagon Channel this week that the new strategy in Iraq -- with more coalition and Iraqi troops helping quell violence in and around Baghdad and operations that promote closer cooperation with the Iraqi population -- has helped stabilize once-violent areas.
Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, said during a Jan. 8 conference call with military analysts that by living, eating and patrolling with Iraqi forces throughout the country, U.S. troops are getting known by the Iraqi people they are working to protect. "When I go out on a patrol, the Iraqis will start asking about folks who aren't with us," Odierno said. "They'll ask 'Where's Sergeant Z today?' And they actually ask why that person isn't out. So the relationships are building."
This presence helped gain the trust and confidence of the Iraqi people, and ultimately, their support as well, Petraeus told the Pentagon Channel. They began "turning in the bad guys in their midst, ... pointing out the weapons caches or identifying improvised explosive devices, and ultimately volunteering to help with security as neighborhood watches, concerned local citizens and so forth," he said.
Bush emphasized a year ago that a successful strategy for Iraq goes beyond military operations. "Ordinary Iraqi citizens must see that military operations are accompanied by visible improvements in their neighborhoods and communities," he said.
This week, the president hailed provincial reconstruction teams operating in Iraq as vital partners in the strategy that has improved security and helped create conditions for the Iraqi government to succeed. Speaking in the White House Rose Garden after a Jan. 8 meeting with PRT members and their brigade commanders, Bush praised the members for progress they've helped make possible during the past year and emphasized the important work they're doing in communities throughout Iraq.
Bush called the PRTs an important part of the strategy that ensures terrorists don't succeed in Iraq and that the Iraqi people are able to live in peace. He praised PRT members who "are helping improve the lives of citizens they never met before" as they serve on the front lines in the war on terror.
"In so doing, they're making this country more secure, and they're helping lay down a foundation for peace," he said.
A year ago, Bush said introducing the new strategy and bumping up the U.S. troop presence would help the Iraqis succeed so U.S. troops can begin drawing down. "If we increase our support at this crucial moment and help the Iraqis break the current cycle of violence, we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home," he said.
Petraeus noted this week that the drawdown already is beginning. With one brigade combat team and a Marine expeditionary unit already gone without being replaced, and four more BCTs and two Marine battalions to leave by late July, he said he believes there's "a solid plan" to maintain the momentum they helped to build.
Petraeus said he's buoyed by successes made and momentum built, but recognizes the job is far from over. "There will be more tough moments ... and bad days" as the coalition and Iraqis continue to pursue extremists and prevent them from establishing new safe havens," he said. "There are some tough enemies out there, and innumerable obstacles and challenges.
"So it will not be easy," he added. "But we believe that we can indeed continue to build on what we have accomplished so far."
Bush emphasized last year the importance of the mission in Iraq to security in the region and in the United States. He said the struggle there "will determine the direction of the global war on terror and our safety here at home."
Petraeus said this week he's hopeful others will be able "to see that there is progress, to see that there is hope, and decide to continue to support what is really a very, very important endeavor for the United States, ... for all the countries of the coalition, ... and of course, (for) Iraq and the region."
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