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Skriven 2007-04-20 23:31:06 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (070420b) for Fri, 2007 Apr 20
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Fact Sheet: Update on the New Iraq Strategy
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary April 20, 2007

Fact Sheet: Update on the New Iraq Strategy

ÿÿWhite House News


Helping Iraq's Leaders Secure Their Population

Today, President Bush Updated The American People On His New Iraq
Strategy.ÿIn January, President Bush and his Administration concluded an
extensive review of the situation in Iraq and made major changes to our
strategy in Iraq.ÿ The President described how this new campaign is
unfolding in Baghdad, Anbar Province, and the outskirts of Baghdad where
terrorists and extremists are making a stand.
  þ The New Strategy Recognizes That Our Top Priority Must Be To Help
    Iraq_s Leaders Secure Their Population, Especially In Baghdad. ÿUntil
    the Iraqi people have a basic measure of security, they will not be
    able to make political and economic progress.
  þ We Are Seeing Positive Indicators Under The New Strategy That We Hope
    Will Translate Into Positive Trends.ÿGeneral Petraeus has been carrying
    out this new strategy for just over two months. ÿHe reports that it
    will be later this year before we can judge its potential for success.ÿ
    Yet the first indicators show that the operation is meeting our
    expectations. While there are still horrific attacks in Iraq, the
    direction of the fight is beginning to shift.
  þ Iraqi And American Forces Are Making Incremental Gains In The Iraqi
    Capital.
      þ American and Iraqi forces tracked down and captured the leaders of
        a major car bomb ring.ÿ
      þ We found and cleared a warehouse where terrorists were storing
        chemicals to make weapons.ÿ
      þ We captured members of a death squad that had paralyzed hundreds of
        residents in a Baghdad neighborhood.ÿ
      þ Displaced families are beginning to return home.ÿ
      þ The number of sectarian murders in Baghdad has dropped by half
        since the operation began.
  þ Democrats In Congress Are Pushing Legislation That Would Undercut The
    Strategy General Petraeus Has Just Started To Pursue.ÿDemocratic
    leaders need to put politics aside and send the President a bill that
    funds our troops without artificial deadlines or wasteful spending and
    without handcuffing our commanders.
      þ It has now been 74 days since the President requested emergency
        funding.ÿ Our men and women in uniform should never be caught in
        the middle of a debate in Washington.
      þ To cover ongoing Army operations, the Pentagon is being forced to
        transfer money from military personnel accounts.

The Most Significant Element Of Our New Strategy Is Being Carried Out In
Baghdadÿ

Baghdad Was The Site Of Most Of The Sectarian Violence In Iraq And Is The
Destination For Most Of Our Reinforcements.ÿThree additional American
brigades have reached the Iraqi capital, while another is in Kuwait
preparing to deploy to Iraq and one more will arrive next month.ÿ
  þ The Iraqi Government Is Meeting Its Pledge To Boost Force Levels In
    Baghdad.ÿ For every American combat soldier deployed to Baghdad, there
    are now about three members of the Iraqi Security Force.
  þ American Troops Are Now Living And Working Side-By-Side With Iraqi
    Forces At Small Neighborhood Posts Called Joint Security Stations, And
    Cooperation And Tips Have Increased.ÿLate last year, most American
    troops were at bases on the outskirts of the city.ÿ They would move
    into Baghdad to help Iraqi forces clear neighborhoods during the day
    and then return to their bases at night, allowing the insurgents and
    death squads to move back to the neighborhoods.ÿ Troops in Baghdad are
    changing their positions in the city, and today:
      þ There are more than two dozen Joint Security Stations located
        throughout Baghdad, and more are planned.ÿ
      þ Iraqi and American forces are working together to clear out and
        secure neighborhoods.ÿ
      þ If a heavy fight breaks out, American forces step in and Iraqi
        forces learn valuable skills fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with our
        troops.
  þ Iraqi And American Forces Have Received More Tips In The Past Three
    Months Than During Any Three-Month Period On Record.ÿBy living in
    Baghdad neighborhoods, American forces get to know the culture and
    concerns of local residents, and local residents get to know them and
    gain confidence and trust.ÿ Many of the tips received in the past three
    months have led to successful operations against terrorists and
    insurgents.

U.S. And Iraqi Security Forces Are Carrying Out The New Strategy In Anbar
Province

While Anbar Province Is Still Not Safe, Significant Progress Is Occurring.
For much of the past four years, insurgents and al Qaeda members terrorized
the local population through a ruthless campaign of violence.ÿ Now the
situation has begun to change:
  þ Tribal sheiks have begun cooperating with American and Iraqi forces to
    fight al Qaeda by providing highly specific intelligence.ÿ
  þ We have sent more troops to Anbar Province.ÿ
  þ Significant changes are taking place in Ramadi, where the presence of
    al Qaeda terrorists in the city has declined substantially in the past
    six months.

As Al Qaeda Responds To These Changes With Sickening Brutality, Local
Sunnis Are Refusing To Be Intimidated And Are Stepping Forward To Drive Out
The Terrorists.ÿ

We Are Adjusting To Conditions In Other Areas Of Iraq.

We Are Cracking Down On Extremists Gathering In Other Parts Of Iraq.ÿ
  þ We are increasing our force levels and carrying out aggressive
    operations in the _Baghdad belts_  the areas on the outskirts of the
    capital that have been staging grounds for deadly attacks.ÿ
  þ We have moved an additional Stryker battalion to Diyala Province.
  þ We have sent reinforcements to Diwaniyah, where we are working with
    Iraqi forces to root out militia fighters and other Shia extremists.ÿ

Our Enemies Are Fighting Back As American And Iraqi Forces Fight To Clear
And Hold Territory The Enemy Considers Its Own, But Our Operations Are
Having An Important Impact.ÿAs violence increases in these areas, American
and Iraqi operations are:
  þ Keeping the pressure on terrorists and insurgents who flee Baghdad and
    Anbar Province
  þ Helping cut off the supply of weapons and fighters to violent groups
    inside the Iraqi capital
  þ Showing Iraqi citizens across the country that there will be no
    sanctuary for killers anywhere in a free Iraq

We Are Working With Iraqis To Make Political And Economic Progress

As We Increase Our Troop Levels, We Are Also Increasing Our Civilian
Presence. ÿWe are doubling the number of Provincial Reconstruction Teams
that help restore basic services, stimulate job creation, and promote
reconciliation.ÿ

Military Operations Are Beginning To Open Up Breathing Space For Political
Progress.ÿIraq's leaders must take advantage of this space to make further
political progress.ÿ America_s patience is not unlimited, but we understand
that the Iraqi government is working hard in an extremely difficult
environment.

Iraq_s Government Is Beginning To Follow Through On Securing The Free And
Democratic Future That Nearly Twelve Million Iraqis Voted For.ÿ
  þ The Iraqi legislature met a key benchmark by passing a budget that
    commits 10 billion dollars for reconstruction project
  þ The Council of Ministers recently approved legislation that would
    provide a framework for an equitable sharing of oil resources  and now
    that legislation is going before the Iraqi parliament for its approval
  þ The government has formed a committee to organize provincial elections
  þ The Iraqi cabinet is taking steps to finalize toward agreement on a
    de-Baathification law.ÿ
  þ At a conference in Egypt next month, Prime Minister Maliki will seek
    increased diplomatic and financial commitments for Iraq_s democracy.

Giving Up In Iraq Would Have Consequences Far Beyond Iraq_s Borders.ÿ It is
natural to wish there was an easy way out, yet in Iraq the easy road would
be disastrous since Iraq is a battlefront in a much broader struggle.ÿ We
cannot allow terrorists to gain a safe haven overseas like they had in
Afghanistan during the 1990s, especially in a land with vast oil resources
that terrorists could use to fund their ambitions.

Withdrawal Is Not A Strategy.ÿ Withdrawal would do nothing to prevent
violence from spilling out across the country and plunging Iraq into chaos
and anarchy.ÿ If anything, it would make that more likely.

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