Text 1839, 196 rader
Skriven 2005-12-07 23:33:46 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (051207) for Wed, 2005 Dec 7
==================================================
===========================================================================
Fact Sheet: Rebuilding Iraq
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
December 7, 2005

Fact Sheet: Rebuilding Iraq



Today's Presidential Action:

To Defeat The Enemy, The United States Is Helping Iraqis Rebuild. Over the
course of this war, the Coalition has learned that winning the battle for
Iraqi cities is only a first step. The Coalition has adjusted to win the
"battle after the battle" by helping Iraqis consolidate their gains and
keep the terrorists from returning.

  þ Iraqi Forces Are Securing Cities, Allowing For Targeted Reconstruction.
    As steady training produces more capable Iraqi Security Forces, those
    forces have been able to better hold onto the cities Iraqi and
    Coalition forces cleared together. With help from Coalition military
    and civilian personnel, the Iraqi government can then work with local
    leaders and residents to begin reconstruction - with Iraqis leading the
    building efforts and the Coalition playing a supporting role. This
    approach is working in cities like Najaf and Mosul.

  þ Iraqi And Coalition Forces Have Cleared And Are Holding The City Of
    Najaf. Ninety miles south of Baghdad, Najaf is home to one of Shia
    Islam's holiest places - the Imam Ali Shrine. As a predominantly Shia
    city, Najaf suffered greatly during Saddam's regime. About a year after
    U.S. troops liberated the city, it fell under the sway of a radical and
    violent militia. Fighting damaged homes and businesses, and the local
    economy collapsed as visitors and pilgrims stopped coming to the shrine
    out of fear for their lives. In the summer of 2004, the Iraqi
    government and Coalition decided to retake control of the city. Iraqi
    and Coalition forces rooted out the militia in tough, urban fighting.
    Together with the Iraqi government and the Shia clerical community, we
    forced the militia to abandon the shrine and return it to legitimate
    Iraqi authority. The militia committed to disarm and leave Najaf.

      þ As Soon As The Fighting In Najaf Ended, Targeted Reconstruction
        Moved Forward. The Iraqi government played an active role, and so
        did our military commanders, diplomats, and workers from the U.S.
        Agency for International Development. Together, they worked with
        Najaf's governor and other local officials to rebuild the local
        police force, repair residents' homes, refurbish schools, restore
        water and other essential services, and reopen a soccer stadium.
        Fifteen months later, new businesses and markets have opened in
        some of Najaf's poorest areas, religious pilgrims are visiting the
        city again, and construction jobs are putting local residents back
        to work. One of the largest projects was the rebuilding of the
        Najaf Teaching Hospital, which had been looted and turned into a
        military fortress by the militia. Thanks to efforts by Iraqi
        doctors and local leaders, with the help of American personnel, the
        hospital is now open and capable of serving hundreds of patients
        each day.

      þ Najaf Has Made Tremendous Progress. Najaf is now in the hands of
        elected government officials. An elected provincial council is at
        work drafting plans to bring more tourism and commerce to the city.
        Political life has returned, and campaigns for the upcoming
        elections have begun, with different parties competing for votes.
        The Iraqi police are now responsible for day-to-day security. An
        Iraqi battalion has assumed control of the former American military
        base, and American forces are now about 40 minutes outside the
        city. There is still plenty of work to be done. Sustaining electric
        power remains a major challenge, and construction has begun on
        three new substations to help boost capacity. To address a clean
        water shortage, new water treatment and sewage units are being
        installed. Security has improved dramatically, but threats remain.
        Local leaders and Iraqi Security Forces are working to resolve
        these problems - and Americans are helping.

  þ Iraqi And American Forces Have Cleared And Are Holding The City Of
    Mosul. Mosul is one of Iraq's largest cities and home to a diverse
    population of Sunni Arabs, Kurds, and other ethnic groups. It was here
    that American troops brought justice to Saddam's sons in the summer of
    2003. Mosul was relatively quiet in the months after liberation, and
    American forces began to redeploy elsewhere in the country. Then, the
    enemy infiltrated the city, and by late last year, they had gained
    control of much of Mosul. American and Iraqi forces responded with a
    series of coordinated strikes on the most dangerous parts of the city
    and killed, captured, and cleared out many of the terrorists and
    Saddamists. Over time, the Iraqi police and legitimate political
    leaders regained control. As Iraqis have grown in strength and ability,
    they have taken more responsibility for the city's security, and
    Coalition forces have moved into a supporting role.

      þ After The Security Situation Improved, Reconstruction Accelerated.
        Local Iraqi leaders, with Coalition support, upgraded key roads and
        bridges over the Tigris River, rebuilt schools and hospitals, and
        started refurbishing the Mosul Airport. Police stations and
        firehouses were rebuilt, and Iraqis have made major improvements in
        the city's water and sewage network. But real challenges still
        remain. Because the city is not receiving enough electricity,
        Iraqis have a major new project underway to expand the Mosul power
        substation. Terrorist intimidation is still a concern, but turnout
        for the October referendum was over 50 percent in the province
        where Mosul is located - more than triple the turnout in the
        January election.

  þ With Progress, Serious Challenges Are Being Addressed. Corruption
    exists at both the national and local levels of the Iraqi government.
    Fraud will not be tolerated, so the American Embassy in Baghdad is
    helping to demand transparency and accountability for the money being
    invested in reconstruction. Another problem is the infiltration of
    militia groups into the Iraqi Security Forces - especially the Iraqi
    police. We are helping Iraqis deal with this problem by embedding
    Coalition transition teams in Iraqi units to mentor police and
    soldiers. In a free Iraq, former militia members must shift their
    loyalty to the national government and learn to operate under the rule
    of law.

The United States Is Working With Iraq's Leaders To Build A Sound Economy
That Will Deliver A Better Life For Iraqis. Iraq is a nation with the
potential for tremendous prosperity. The country has a young and educated
workforce, abundant land and water, and among the largest oil resources in
the world. Yet for decades, Saddam Hussein used Iraq's wealth to enrich
himself and a privileged few and neglected the country's infrastructure and
economy. The Coalition is helping the new Iraqi government reverse decades
of economic destruction, reinvigorate its economy, and make responsible
reforms. With Coalition help, the Iraqis are rebuilding infrastructure and
establishing the institutions of a market economy. The entrepreneurial
spirit is strong. A free Iraq will be built by the free people of Iraq -
and the United States is proud to help.

  þ Reconstruction Efforts Are Focused On Local Projects That Deliver Rapid
    And Noticeable Improvements. The Coalition's approach to helping Iraqis
    rebuild has changed and improved with time. When the reconstruction
    process was first begun in the spring of 2003, the focus was on
    building large-scale infrastructure - such as electrical plants and
    water treatment facilities. This approach was not meeting the
    priorities of the Iraqi people. In many places, the most urgent needs
    were smaller, localized projects like sewer lines and city roads. In
    consultation with the Iraqi government, resources started to be used to
    fund smaller, local projects that could deliver rapid, noticeable
    improvements. American military commanders were given more money for
    flexible use, and the Coalition worked with Iraqi leaders to provide
    more contracts to Iraqi firms. By adapting reconstruction efforts, the
    United States is now better able to help Iraqi leaders serve their
    people.

  þ Together, Iraqis And Americans Are Making Progress. Reconstruction has
    not always gone as well as hoped - primarily because of the security
    challenges. Rebuilding a nation devastated by a dictator is a large
    undertaking - even harder when terrorists attempt to destroy gains.
    Yet, in the space of two and a half years, the United States has helped
    Iraqis conduct nearly 3,000 renovation projects at schools, train more
    than 30,000 teachers, distribute more than 8 million textbooks, rebuild
    irrigation infrastructure to help more than 400,000 rural Iraqis, and
    improve drinking water for more than 3 million people. The Coalition
    has helped Iraqis introduce a new currency, reopen their stock
    exchange, and extend $21 million in micro-credit and small business
    loans. As a result of these efforts and Iraq's newfound freedom, more
    than 30,000 new Iraqi businesses have registered since liberation, and
    according to a recent survey, more than three-quarters of Iraqi
    business owners anticipate growth in the economy over the next two
    years. This economic development and growth will be key to addressing
    the high unemployment rate across many parts of the country. In
    addition, Iraqis have negotiated significant debt relief and completed
    an economic report card with the International Monetary Fund - a signal
    that Iraqis are serious about reform.

Victory In Iraq

The United States Will Settle For Nothing Less Than Complete Victory In
Iraq. Withdrawing on an artificial deadline would endanger the American
people, harm our military, and make the Middle East less stable. It would
also give the terrorists exactly what they want. The al-Qaida leader
Zawahiri recently wrote to the terrorist Zarqawi in Iraq, and he cited the
Vietnam War as a reason to believe the terrorists can prevail. The
terrorists think they can make America run in Iraq; the terrorists hope
America will withdraw before the job is done - so they can take over the
country and turn it into a base for future attacks. America will not yield
the future of Iraq to men like Zarqawi, nor will it yield the future of the
Middle East to men like bin Laden.

  þ Building Democracy In Iraq Will Establish A Peaceful Civil Society That
    Is An Ally In The War On Terror. Free societies are peaceful societies,
    and democracies do not attack each other. Free nations give their
    citizens a path to resolve their differences peacefully through the
    democratic process. Democracy can be difficult, complicated, and even
    chaotic. Iraqis have to overcome many challenges, including
    longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, and the legacy of decades
    of brutal repression. But they are learning that democracy is the only
    way to build a just and peaceful society - because it is the only
    system that gives every citizen a voice in determining their future.

# # #
===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051207.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)