Full text of President Bush's speech on Iraq

Good evening. Tonight in Iraq, the Armed Forces of the UnitedStates are engaged in a struggle that will determine the direction ofthe global war on terror ? and our safety here at home. The newstrategy I outline tonight will change America's course in Iraq, andhelp us succeed in the fight against terror.

When I addressed you just over a year ago, nearly 12 million Iraqishad cast their ballots for a unified and democratic nation. Theelections of 2005 were a stunning achievement. We thought that theseelections would bring the Iraqis together ? and that as we trainedIraqi security forces, we could accomplish our mission with fewerAmerican troops.

But in 2006, the opposite happened. The violence in Iraq ?particularly in Baghdad ? overwhelmed the political gains the Iraqishad made. Al Qaeda terrorists and Sunni insurgents recognized themortal danger that Iraq's elections posed for their cause. And theyresponded with outrageous acts of murder aimed at innocent Iraqis.They blew up one of the holiest shrines in Shia Islam ? the GoldenMosque of Samarra ? in a calculated effort to provoke Iraq's Shiapopulation to retaliate. Their strategy worked. Radical Shiaelements, some supported by Iran, formed death squads. And the resultwas a vicious cycle of sectarian violence that continues today.

The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people ? and itis unacceptable to me. Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely. Theyhave done everything we have asked them to do. Where mistakes havebeen made, the responsibility rests with me.

It is clear that we need to change our strategy in Iraq. So mynational security team, military commanders, and diplomats conducted acomprehensive review. We consulted Members of Congress from bothparties, allies abroad, and distinguished outside experts. Webenefited from the thoughtful recommendations of the Iraq Study Group? a bipartisan panel led by former Secretary of State James Baker andformer Congressman Lee Hamilton. In our discussions, we all agreedthat there is no magic formula for success in Iraq. And one messagecame through loud and clear: Failure in Iraq would be a disaster forthe United States.

The consequences of failure are clear: Radical Islamic extremistswould grow in strength and gain new recruits. They would be in abetter position to topple moderate governments, create chaos in theregion, and use oil revenues to fund their ambitions. Iran would beemboldened in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Our enemies would havea safe haven from which to plan and launch attacks on the Americanpeople. On September the 11th, 2001, we saw what a refuge forextremists on the other side of the world could bring to the streetsof our own cities. For the safety of our people, America must succeedin Iraq.

The most urgent priority for success in Iraq is security,especially in Baghdad. Eighty percent of Iraq's sectarian violenceoccurs within 30 miles of the capital. This violence is splittingBaghdad into sectarian enclaves, and shaking the confidence of allIraqis. Only the Iraqis can end the sectarian violence and securetheir people. And their government has put forward an aggressive planto do it.

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

Let me explain the main elements of this effort: The Iraqi governmentwill appoint a military commander and two deputy commanders for theircapital. The Iraqi government will deploy Iraqi Army and NationalPolice brigades across Baghdad's nine districts. When these forcesare fully deployed, there will be 18 Iraqi Army and National Policebrigades committed to this effort ? along with local police. TheseIraqi forces will operate from local police stations ? conductingpatrols, setting up checkpoints, and going door-to-door to gain thetrust of Baghdad residents.

This is a strong commitment. But for it to succeed, ourcommanders say the Iraqis will need our help. So America will changeour strategy to help the Iraqis carry out their campaign to put downsectarian violence ? and bring security to the people of Baghdad.This will require increasing American force levels. So I havecommitted more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. Thevast majority of them ? five brigades ? will be deployed to Baghdad.These troops will work alongside Iraqi units and be embedded in theirformations. Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to helpIraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the localpopulation, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind arecapable of providing the security that Baghdad needs.

Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed whenprevious operations to secure Baghdad did not. Here are thedifferences: In earlier operations, Iraqi and American forces clearedmany neighborhoods of terrorists and insurgents ? but when our forcesmoved on to other targets, the killers returned. This time, we willhave the force levels we need to hold the areas that have beencleared. In earlier operations, political and sectarian interferenceprevented Iraqi and American forces from going into neighborhoods thatare home to those fueling the sectarian violence. This time, Iraqiand American forces will have a green light to enter theseneighborhoods ? and Prime Minister Maliki has pledged that politicalor sectarian interference will not be tolerated.

I have made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq's other leadersthat America's commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi governmentdoes not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support ofthe American people ? and it will lose the support of the Iraqipeople. Now is the time to act. The Prime Minister understands this. Here is what he told his people just last week: "The Baghdadsecurity plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws,regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation."

This new strategy will not yield an immediate end to suicide bombings,assassinations, or IED attacks. Our enemies in Iraq will make everyeffort to ensure that our television screens are filled with images ofdeath and suffering. Yet over time, we can expect to see Iraqi troopschasing down murderers, fewer brazen acts of terror, and growing trustand cooperation from Baghdad's residents. When this happens, dailylife will improve, Iraqis will gain confidence in their leaders, andthe government will have the breathing space it needs to make progressin other critical areas. Most of Iraq's Sunni and Shia want to livetogether in peace ? and reducing the violence in Baghdad will helpmake reconciliation possible.

A successful strategy for Iraq goes beyond military operations.Ordinary Iraqi citizens must see that military operations areaccompanied by visible improvements in their neighborhoods andcommunities. So America will hold the Iraqi government to thebenchmarks it has announced.

To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to takeresponsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November.To give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country's economy, Iraqwill pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis. To showthat it is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi governmentwill spend 10 billion dollars of its own money on reconstruction andinfrastructure projects that will create new jobs. To empower localleaders, 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-Baathification laws ? and establish afair process for considering amendments to Iraq's constitution.

America will change our approach to help the Iraqi government as itworks to meet these benchmarks. In keeping with the recommendationsof the Iraq Study Group, we will increase the embedding of Americanadvisers in Iraqi Army units ? and partner a Coalition brigade withevery Iraqi Army division. We will help the Iraqis build a larger andbetter-equipped Army ? and we will accelerate the training of Iraqiforces, which remains the essential U.S. security mission in Iraq. Wewill give our commanders and civilians greater flexibility to spendfunds for economic assistance. We will double the number ofProvincial Reconstruction Teams. These teams bring together militaryand civilian experts to help local Iraqi communities pursuereconciliation, strengthen moderates, and speed the transition toIraqi self reliance. And Secretary Rice will soon appoint areconstruction coordinator in Baghdad to ensure better results foreconomic assistance being spent in Iraq.

As we make these changes, we will continue to pursue al Qaeda andforeign fighters. Al Qaeda is still active in Iraq. Its home base isAnbar Province. Al Qaeda has helped make Anbar the most violent areaof Iraq outside the capital. A captured al Qaeda document describesthe terrorists' plan to infiltrate and seize control of the province.This would bring al Qaeda closer to its goals of taking down Iraq'sdemocracy, building a radical Islamic empire, and launching newattacks on the United States at home and abroad.

Our military forces in Anbar are killing and capturing al Qaedaleaders ? and protecting the local population. Recently, local triballeaders have begun to show their willingness to take on al Qaeda. Asa result, our commanders believe we have an opportunity to deal aserious blow to the terrorists. So I have given orders to increaseAmerican forces in Anbar Province by 4,000 troops. These troops willwork with Iraqi and tribal forces to step up the pressure on theterrorists. America's men and women in uniform took away al Qaeda'ssafe haven in Afghanistan ? and we will not allow them to re-establishit in Iraq.

Succeeding in Iraq also requires defending its territorial integrity ?and stabilizing the region in the face of the extremist challenge.This begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes areallowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move inand out of Iraq. Iran is providing material support for attacks onAmerican troops. We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We willinterrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seekout and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and trainingto our enemies in Iraq.

We are also taking other steps to bolster the security of Iraq andprotect American interests in the Middle East. I recently ordered thedeployment of an additional carrier strike group to the region. Wewill expand intelligence sharing ? and deploy Patriot air defensesystems to reassure our friends and allies. We will work with thegovernments of Turkey and Iraq to help them resolve problems alongtheir border. And we will work with others to prevent Iran fromgaining nuclear weapons and dominating the region.

We will use America's full diplomatic resources to rally supportfor Iraq from nations throughout the Middle East. Countries likeSaudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf States need to understandthat an American defeat in Iraq would create a new sanctuary forextremists ? and a strategic threat to their survival. These nationshave a stake in a successful Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors? and they must step up their support for Iraq's unity government. Weendorse the Iraqi government's call to finalize an InternationalCompact that will bring new economic assistance in exchange forgreater economic reform. And on Friday, Secretary Rice will leave forthe region ? to build support for Iraq, and continue the urgentdiplomacy required to help bring peace to the Middle East.

The challenge playing out across the broader Middle East is more thana military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of ourtime. On one side are those who believe in freedom and moderation.On the other side are extremists who kill the innocent, and havedeclared their intention to destroy our way of life. In the long run,the most realistic way to protect the American people is to provide ahopeful alternative to the hateful ideology of the enemy ? byadvancing liberty across a troubled region. It is in the interests ofthe United States to stand with the brave men and women who arerisking their lives to claim their freedom ? and help them as theywork to raise up just and hopeful societies across the Middle East.

From Afghanistan to Lebanon to the Palestinian Territories, millionsof ordinary people are sick of the violence, and want a future ofpeace and opportunity for their children. And they are looking atIraq. They want to know: Will America withdraw and yield the futureof that country to the extremists ? or will we stand with the Iraqiswho have made the choice for freedom?

The changes I have outlined tonight are aimed at ensuring the survivalof a young democracy that is fighting for its life in a part of theworld of enormous importance to American security. Let me be clear:The terrorists and insurgents in Iraq are without conscience, and theywill make the year ahead bloody and violent. Even if our new strategyworks exactly as planned, deadly acts of violence will continue ? andwe must expect more Iraqi and American casualties. The question iswhether our new strategy will bring us closer to success. I believethat it will.

Victory will not look like the ones our fathers and grandfathersachieved. There will be no surrender ceremony on the deck of abattleship. But victory in Iraq will bring something new in the Arabworld ? a functioning democracy that polices its territory, upholdsthe rule of law, respects fundamental human liberties, and answers toits people. A democratic Iraq will not be perfect. But it will be acountry that fights terrorists instead of harboring them ? and it willhelp bring a future of peace and security for our children andgrandchildren.

Our new approach comes after consultations with Congress about thedifferent courses we could take in Iraq. Many are concerned that theIraqis are becoming too dependent on the United States ? andtherefore, our policy should focus on protecting Iraq's borders andhunting down al Qaeda. Their solution is to scale back America'sefforts in Baghdad ? or announce the phased withdrawal of our combatforces. We carefully considered these proposals. And we concludedthat to step back now would force a collapse of the Iraqi government,tear that country apart, and result in mass killings on anunimaginable scale. Such a scenario would result in our troops beingforced to stay in Iraq even longer, and confront an enemy that is evenmore lethal. If we increase our support at this crucial moment, andhelp the Iraqis break the current cycle of violence, we can hasten theday our troops begin coming home.

In the days ahead, my national security team will fully brief Congresson our new strategy. If Members have improvements that can be made,we will make them. If circumstances change, we will adjust.Honorable people have different views, and they will voice theircriticisms. It is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny. And allinvolved have a responsibility to explain how the path they proposewould be more likely to succeed.

Acting on the good advice of Senator Joe Lieberman and other keymembers of Congress, we will form a new, bipartisan working group thatwill help us come together across party lines to win the war onterror. This group will meet regularly with me and my Administration,and it will help strengthen our relationship with Congress. We canbegin by working together to increase the size of the active Army andMarine Corps, so that America has the Armed Forces we need for the21st century. We also need to examine ways to mobilize talentedAmerican civilians to deploy overseas ? where they can help builddemocratic institutions in communities and nations recovering from warand tyranny.

In these dangerous times, the United States is blessed to haveextraordinary and selfless men and women willing to step forward anddefend us. These young Americans understand that our cause in Iraq isnoble and necessary ? and that the advance of freedom is the callingof our time. They serve far from their families, who make the quietsacrifices of lonely holidays and empty chairs at the dinner table.They have watched their comrades give their lives to ensure ourliberty. We mourn the loss of every fallen American ? and we owe itto them to build a future worthy of their sacrifice.

Fellow citizens: The year ahead will demand more patience, sacrifice,and resolve. It can be tempting to think that America can put asidethe burdens of freedom. Yet times of testing reveal the character ofa Nation. And throughout our history, Americans have always defiedthe pessimists and seen our faith in freedom redeemed. Now America isengaged in a new struggle that will set the course for a new century.We can and we will prevail.

We go forward with trust that the Author of Liberty will guide usthrough these trying hours. Thank you and good night.