THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

________________________________________________________________



ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT TO THE NATION

As Prepared for Delivery

Good evening. 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.

When I addressed you just over a year ago, nearly 12 million Iraqis
had cast their ballots for a unified and democratic nation. The
elections of 2005 were a stunning achievement. We thought that these
elections would bring the Iraqis together ? and that as we trained
Iraqi security forces, we could accomplish our mission with fewer
American troops.

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

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. We consulted Members of Congress from both
parties, allies abroad, and distinguished outside experts. We
benefited from the thoughtful recommendations of the Iraq Study Group
? a bipartisan panel led by former Secretary of State James Baker and
former Congressman Lee Hamilton. 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 percent 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
neighborhoods 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 America will change our strategy to
help the Iraqis carry out their campaign to put down sectarian
violence ? and bring security to the people of Baghdad. This will
require increasing American force levels. 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 neighborhoods, 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 neighborhoods 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 neighborhoods that
are home to those fueling the sectarian violence. This time, Iraqi and
American forces will have a green light to enter these neighborhoods ?
and Prime Minister 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.
Here is what he told his people just last week: "The Baghdad security
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 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. When this happens, daily
life will improve, Iraqis will gain confidence in their leaders, and
the government will have the breathing space it needs to make progress
in other critical areas. Most of Iraq's Sunni and Shia want to live
together in peace ? and reducing the violence in Baghdad will help
make reconciliation possible.

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. So America will hold the Iraqi government to the
benchmarks it has announced.

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-Baathification 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 U.S. security mission in Iraq. We
will give our commanders and civilians greater flexibility to spend
funds for economic assistance. We will double the number of Provincial
Reconstruction Teams. These teams bring together military and civilian
experts to help local Iraqi communities pursue reconciliation,
strengthen moderates, and speed the transition to Iraqi self reliance.
And Secretary Rice will soon appoint a reconstruction coordinator in
Baghdad to ensure better results for economic assistance being spent
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. A captured al Qaeda document describes
the terrorists' plan to infiltrate and seize control of the province.
This would bring al Qaeda closer to its goals of taking down Iraq's
democracy, building a radical Islamic empire, and launching new
attacks on the United States at home and abroad.

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. America's men and women in uniform took away al Qaeda's
safe haven in Afghanistan ? and we will not allow them to re-establish
it 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 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 defense
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.

We will use America's full diplomatic resources to rally support for
Iraq from nations throughout the Middle East. Countries like Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf States need to understand that an
American defeat in Iraq would create a new sanctuary for extremists ?
and a strategic threat to their survival. These nations have 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. We endorse the
Iraqi government's call to finalize an International Compact that will
bring new economic assistance in exchange for greater economic reform.
And on Friday, Secretary 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 challenge playing out across the broader Middle East is more than
a military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of our
time. On one side are those who believe in freedom and moderation. On
the other side are extremists who kill the innocent, and have declared
their intention to destroy our way of life. In the long run, the most
realistic way to protect the American people is to provide a hopeful
alternative to the hateful ideology of the enemy ? by advancing
liberty across a troubled region. It is in the interests of the United
States to stand with the brave men and women who are risking their
lives to claim their freedom ? and help them as they work to raise up
just and hopeful societies across the Middle East.

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

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.

Victory will not look like the ones our fathers and grandfathers
achieved. There will be no surrender ceremony on the deck of a
battleship. But victory in Iraq will bring something new in the Arab
world ? a functioning democracy that polices its territory, upholds
the rule of law, respects fundamental human liberties, and answers to
its people. A democratic Iraq will not be perfect. But it will be a
country that fights terrorists instead of harboring them ? and it will
help bring a future of peace and security for our children and
grandchildren.

Our new approach comes after consultations with Congress about the
different courses we could take in Iraq. 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.

In the days ahead, my national security team will fully brief Congress
on 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 their criticisms. It
is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny. And all involved have a
responsibility to explain how the path they propose would be more
likely to succeed.

Acting on the good advice of Senator Joe Lieberman and other key
members of Congress, we will form a new, bipartisan working group that
will help us come together across party lines to win the war on
terror. This group will meet regularly with me and my Administration,
and it will help strengthen our relationship with Congress. We can
begin by working together to increase the size of the active Army and
Marine Corps, so that America has the Armed Forces we need for the
21st century. We also need to examine ways to mobilize talented
American civilians to deploy overseas ? where they can help build
democratic institutions in communities and nations recovering from war
and tyranny.

In these dangerous times, the United States is blessed to have
extraordinary and selfless men and women willing to step forward and
defend us. These young Americans understand that our cause in Iraq is
noble and necessary ? and that the advance of freedom is the calling
of our time. They serve far from their families, who make the quiet
sacrifices of lonely holidays and empty chairs at the dinner table.
They have watched their comrades give their lives to ensure our
liberty. We mourn the loss of every fallen American ? and we owe it to
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 aside
the burdens of freedom. Yet times of testing reveal the character of a
Nation. And throughout our history, Americans have always defied the
pessimists and seen our faith in freedom redeemed. Now America is
engaged 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 us
through these trying hours. Thank you and good night.