Text 5165, 77 rader
Skriven 2007-08-23 23:30:54 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (070823) for Thu, 2007 Aug 23
===================================================

===========================================================================
Statement by Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Johndroe on National
Intelligence Estimate
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary August 23, 2007

Statement by Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Johndroe on National
Intelligence Estimate

˙˙White House News

˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: National Security ˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: Iraq

The National Intelligence Estimate's updated judgments show that our
strategy has improved the security environment in Iraq, but that we still
face very tough challenges ahead. While the February NIE concluded that
conditions in Iraq were worsening, today's key judgments clearly show that
the military's counterinsurgency strategy, fully operational since
mid-summer, has begun to slow the rapidly increasing violence and patterns
of that violence we have been seeing in Iraq. This change is a necessary
precondition to the stability and increased political reconciliation that
we all seek.

The administration continues to support the efforts of Prime Minister
Maliki, the presidency council, and Iraqi political leaders representing
Sunni, Shia, and Kurds as they meet in Baghdad now to reach agreement on
how they will work together for a more stable and secure Iraq.

The judgments in the NIE confirm that Iraq's security forces are improving
their performance and that bottom-up political engagement and security
initiatives have made a difference and offer the best prospect for improved
security over the next six to 12 months. The NIE does conclude that the
Iraqi security forces have not improved enough to conduct major operations
independent of the coalition on a sustained basis in multiple locations,
and that the ISF remain reliant on the coalition for important aspects of
logistics and combat support.

This is all accurate and not unexpected, given where ISF is in its
development. This suggests, of course, that there's more work to be done,
but that this effort is headed in the right direction.

The intelligence community also concluded that al Qaeda in Iraq remains
resilient. The NIE states that, "coalition forces, working with Iraqi
forces, tribal elements and some Sunni insurgents have reduced al Qaeda in
Iraq's capabilities, restricted its freedom of movement, and denied its
grassroots support in some areas. However, AQI retains the ability to
conduct high-profile attacks." We have changed al Qaeda's trajectory in a
short period of time, and we must now sustain the momentum we have already
achieved against them."

Today's key judgments also confirm that Iran and Syria are still supporting
and arming militant groups inside Iraq. The NIE states, and I quote, "Iran
has been intensifying aspects of its lethal support for select groups of
Iraqi Shia militants, particular the JAM." Most troublesome, the use of
EFPs supplied by Iran has risen dramatically, and it is taking an
increasing toll on our troops. While Syria has taken some action, it has
done so because of the threat to its own stability, and has begun to
support non-al Qaeda in Iraq groups to increase its influence inside Iraq.

One element of the administration's strategy is to support Iraqi efforts to
convince its neighbors to be more helpful, and also to mobilize the
international community to better support security in Iraq and the region.

The full National Intelligence Estimate will inform the recommendations to
be made by President Bush, as well as the recommendations to be made by
General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker when they return to Washington in
September to testify before Congress and make the report to the American
people. And we look forward to hearing from them.

# # #
===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/08/20070823.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)