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Skriven 2006-12-09 23:31:12 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (061209) for Sat, 2006 Dec 9
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 9, 2006

President's Radio Address


ÿÿÿÿÿ Audio ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: Renewal in Iraq ÿÿÿÿÿ

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, I held important meetings at the
White House about the situation in Iraq.

On Monday, I met in the Oval Office with one of Iraq's most influential
Shia leaders, His Eminence Abdul Aziz al Hakim. We discussed the desire of
the Iraqi people to see their unity government succeed, and how the United
States can help them achieve that goal.

On Thursday, I had breakfast with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain. We
discussed the sectarian violence in Iraq and the need to confront
extremists inside Iraq and throughout the region. The Prime Minister
explains it this way: "The violence is not ... an accident or a result of
faulty planning. It is a deliberate strategy. It is the direct result of
outside extremists teaming up with internal extremists -- al Qaeda with
[the] Sunni insurgents, [and Iran with] Shia militia -- to foment hatred
and thus throttle at birth the possibility of non-sectarian democracy."

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The Prime Minister and I also discussed the report I received this week
from the Iraq Study Group, chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker
and former Congressman Lee Hamilton. Their report provides a
straightforward picture of the grave situation we face in Iraq. The Iraq
Study Group's report also explicitly endorses the strategic goal we've set
in Iraq: an Iraq that can "govern itself, sustain itself, and defend
itself."

The report went on to say, "In our view, this definition entails an Iraq
with a broadly representative government that maintains its territorial
integrity, is at peace with its neighbors, denies terrorism a sanctuary,
and doesn't brutalize its own people. Given the current situation in Iraq,
achieving this goal will require much time and will depend primarily on the
actions of the Iraqi people."

I agree with this assessment. I was also encouraged that the Iraq Study
Group was clear about the consequences of a precipitous withdrawal from
Iraq. The group declared that such a withdrawal would "almost certainly
produce greater sectarian violence" and lead to "a significant power
vacuum, greater human suffering, regional destabilization, and a threat to
the global economy." The report went on to say, "If we leave and Iraq
descends into chaos, the long-range consequences could eventually require
the United States to return."

The Iraq Study Group understands the urgency of getting it right in Iraq.
The group also understands that while the work ahead will not be easy,
success in Iraq is important, and success in Iraq is possible. The group
proposed a number of thoughtful recommendations on a way forward for our
country in Iraq. My administration is reviewing the report, and we will
seriously consider every recommendation. At the same time, the Pentagon,
the State Department, and the National Security Council are finishing work
on their own reviews of our strategy in Iraq. I look forward to receiving
their recommendations. I want to hear all advice as I make the decisions to
chart a new course in Iraq.

I thank the members of the Iraq Study Group for their hard work and for the
example of bipartisanship that they have set. The group showed that
Americans of different political parties can agree on a common goal in Iraq
and come together on ways to achieve it. Now it is the responsibility of
all of us in Washington -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- to come
together and find greater consensus on the best way forward.

As part of this effort, I met this week with House and Senate leaders from
both parties, as well as senior members of the Armed Services, Foreign
Relations, and Intelligence Committees. We had productive discussions about
our shared duty to forge a bipartisan approach to succeed in Iraq. The
future of a vital region of the world and the security of the American
people depend on victory in Iraq. I'm confident that we can move beyond our
political differences and come together to achieve that victory. I will do
my part.

Thank you for listening.

END
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