FOCUS / REBUILDING IRAQ : Bush outlines new strategy for success

FOCUS / REBUILDING IRAQ : Bush outlines new strategy for success.

On Wednesday night, US President George W Bush unveiled a new strategy to curb the violence in Iraq, which has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 American soldiers. Published here are excerpts of his speech:

''Tonight in Iraq, the armed forces of the United States are engaged in a struggle that will determine the direction of the global war on terror _ and our safety here at home. The new strategy I outline tonight will change America's course in Iraq, and help us succeed in the fight against terror... The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people _ and it is unacceptable to me. Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely. They have done everything we have asked them to do. Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me.

It is clear that we need to change our strategy in Iraq. So my national security team, military commanders, and diplomats conducted a comprehensive review...

In our discussions, we all agreed that there is no magic formula for success in Iraq. And one message came through loud and clear: Failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States.

The consequences of failure are clear: Radical Islamic extremists would grow in strength and gain new recruits. They would be in a better position to topple moderate governments, create chaos in the region, and use oil revenues to fund their ambitions. Iran would be emboldened in its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Our enemies would have a safe haven from which to plan and launch attacks on the American people. On September the 11th, 2001, we saw what a refuge for extremists on the other side of the world could bring to the streets of our own cities. For the safety of our people, America must succeed in Iraq.

The most urgent priority for success in Iraq is security, especially in Baghdad. Eighty per cent of Iraq's sectarian violence occurs within 30 miles of the capital. This violence is splitting Baghdad into sectarian enclaves, and shaking the confidence of all Iraqis. Only the Iraqis can end the sectarian violence and secure their people. And their government has put forward an aggressive plan to do it.

Our past efforts to secure Baghdad failed for two principal reasons: There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighbourhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents. And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have. Our military commanders reviewed the new Iraqi plan to ensure that it addressed these mistakes. They report that it does. They also report that this plan can work.

Let me explain the main elements of this effort: The Iraqi government will appoint a military commander and two deputy commanders for their capital. The Iraqi government will deploy Iraqi army and national police brigades across Baghdad's nine districts. When these forces are fully deployed, there will be 18 Iraqi army and national police brigades committed to this effort _ along with local police. These Iraqi forces will operate from local police stations _ conducting patrols, setting up checkpoints, and going door-to-door to gain the trust of Baghdad residents.

This is a strong commitment. But for it to succeed, our commanders say the Iraqis will need our help...

So I have committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them _ five brigades _ will be deployed to Baghdad. These troops will work alongside Iraqi units and be embedded in their formations. Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighbourhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs.

Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed when previous operations to secure Baghdad did not.

Here are the differences: In earlier operations, Iraqi and American forces cleared many neighbourhoods of terrorists and insurgents _ but when our forces moved on to other targets, the killers returned.

This time, we will have the force levels we need to hold the areas that have been cleared. In earlier operations, political and sectarian interference prevented Iraqi and American forces from going into neighbourhoods that are home to those fuelling the sectarian violence.

This time, Iraqi and American forces will have a green light to enter these neighbourhoods _ and Prime Minister [Nuri al-] Maliki has pledged that political or sectarian interference will not be tolerated.

I have made it clear to the prime minister and Iraq's other leaders that America's commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people _ and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people. Now is the time to act. The prime minister understands this...

This new strategy will not yield an immediate end to suicide bombings, assassinations, or IED [improvised explosive devices] attacks.

Our enemies in Iraq will make every effort to ensure that our television screens are filled with images of death and suffering.

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...

To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November. To give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country's economy, Iraq will pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis.

To show that it is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi government will spend 10 billion dollars of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure projects that will create new jobs.

To empower local leaders, Iraqis plan to hold provincial elections later this year. And to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation's political life, the government will reform de-Ba'athification laws _ and establish a fair process for considering amendments to Iraq's constitution.

America will change our approach to help the Iraqi government as it works to meet these benchmarks. In keeping with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, we will increase the embedding of American advisers in Iraqi army units _ and partner a coalition brigade with every Iraqi army division.

We will help the Iraqis build a larger and better-equipped army _ and we will accelerate the training of Iraqi forces, which remains the essential US security mission in Iraq...

As we make these changes, we will continue to pursue al-Qaeda and foreign fighters. Al-Qaeda is still active in Iraq. Its home base is Anbar province. Al-Qaeda has helped make Anbar the most violent area of Iraq outside the capital...

Our military forces in Anbar are killing and capturing al-Qaeda leaders _ and protecting the local population. Recently, local tribal leaders have begun to show their willingness to take on al-Qaeda. As a result, our commanders believe we have an opportunity to deal a serious blow to the terrorists.

So I have given orders to increase American forces in Anbar province by 4,000 troops. These troops will work with Iraqi and tribal forces to step up the pressure on the terrorists...

Succeeding in Iraq also requires defending its territorial integrity _ and stabilising the region in the face of the extremist challenge. This begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq. Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops.

We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.

We are also taking other steps to bolster the security of Iraq and protect American interests in the Middle East. I recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group to the region. We will expand intelligence sharing _ and deploy Patriot air defence systems to reassure our friends and allies. We will work with the governments of Turkey and Iraq to help them resolve problems along their border.

And we will work with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating the region...

And on Friday, Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice will leave for the region _ to build support for Iraq, and continue the urgent diplomacy required to help bring peace to the Middle East...

The changes I have outlined tonight are aimed at ensuring the survival of a young democracy that is fighting for its life in a part of the world of enormous importance to American security. Let me be clear:

The terrorists and insurgents in Iraq are without conscience, and they will make the year ahead bloody and violent. Even if our new strategy works exactly as planned, deadly acts of violence will continue _ and we must expect more Iraqi and American casualties. The question is whether our new strategy will bring us closer to success. I believe that it will...

Many are concerned that the Iraqis are becoming too dependent on the United States _ and therefore, our policy should focus on protecting Iraq's borders and hunting down al-Qaeda. Their solution is to scale back America's efforts in Baghdad _ or announce the phased withdrawal of our combat forces.

We carefully considered these proposals. And we concluded that to step back now would force a collapse of the Iraqi government, tear that country apart, and result in mass killings on an unimaginable scale. Such a scenario would result in our troops being forced to stay in Iraq even longer, and confront an enemy that is even more lethal. 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.'' AFP

Bangkok Post
Friday January 12, 2007