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Skriven 2007-08-28 23:30:54 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0708281) for Tue, 2007 Aug 28
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Making America Safer by Defeating Extremists in the Middle East
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary August 28, 2007

Making America Safer by Defeating Extremists in the Middle East

ÿÿWhite House News


President Bush Explains Why Winning The Fight In Iraq Is Key To Countering
The Ambitions Of Al Qaeda And Iran

Today, President Bush Will Address The American Legion National Convention
In Reno, Nevada, To Explain Why Defeating Extremists In The Middle East Is
Essential To American Security _ And Why Success In Iraq Is Vital To
Winning This Battle. America is engaged in a great ideological struggle
against violent Islamic extremists around the world, and the fight for the
future of the Middle East is a key aspect of this struggle.
  þ America Has Enduring And Vital Interests In The Middle East.
      þ We seek a region of secure democratic states at peace with each
        other, participating in an open global market and existing as
        partners in the war on terror.
      þ We seek to dry up the stream of recruits for al Qaeda by helping
        nations offer their people a path to a more hopeful future.
      þ We seek an Iran whose government is accountable to its people _
        instead of to leaders who promote terror and pursue the technology
        that could be used to develop nuclear weapons.
      þ We seek to advance a two-state solution for Israelis and
        Palestinians to live side by side in peace and security; and
      þ We seek justice and dignity and human rights for all people of the
        Middle East.
      þ Achieving this future requires hard work and strategic patience,
        but our security depends on getting it done.
  þ The Most Important And Immediate Way To Counter The Ambitions Of Al
    Qaeda, Iran, And Other Forces Of Instability And Terror In The Middle
    East Is To Win The Fight In Iraq. The challenge in Iraq comes down to
    this: either the forces of violent extremism succeed and our enemies
    advance their interests in Iraq, or the forces of freedom succeed and
    we advance our interests.

If Violent Extremists Were Allowed To Prevail In The Middle East, The
Region Would Be Dramatically Transformed In A Way That Could Imperil The
World

The Violent Islamic Radicalism That Inspires Extremists In The Middle East
Has Two Main Strains. Allowing these forces of radicalism to drive America
out of the Middle East could result in disaster for the region's people,
danger to our friends and allies, and a direct threat to American peace and
security.
 1. The First Strain Is Sunni Extremism, Embodied By Al Qaeda And Its
    Terrorist Allies. These extremists hope to impose their dark vision
    across the Middle East by raising up a violent and radical caliphate
    that spans from Spain to Indonesia.They kill fellow Muslims in places
    like Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia in an attempt to
    undermine their governments. And they kill Americans because they know
    we stand in their way _ they attacked U.S. Embassies in Africa in 1998,
    attacked the USS Cole in 2000, killed nearly 3,000 people on 9/11, and
    plot to attack us again.
 2. The Second Strain Is Shia Extremism, Supported And Embodied By Iran's
    Government. Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, and
    the United States is working with friends and allies around the world
    to confront the danger presented by actions of Iran's government.Iran's
    leaders threaten the security of nations everywhere by:
      þ Actively pursuing technology that could be used to develop nuclear
        weapons;
      þ Arresting visiting American scholars who have committed no crimes
        and pose no threat to their regime;
      þ Backing Hezbollah terrorists who are trying to undermine the
        democratic government of Lebanon;
      þ Funding the terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad,
        which murder the innocent, target Israel, and destabilize the
        Palestinian territories;
      þ Sending arms to the Taliban in Afghanistan, which can be used to
        attack American and NATO troops and Afghan civilians; and
      þ Sending arms to extremists in Iraq that are used against Coalition
        and Iraqi troops, and Iraqi civilians.

These Two Dangerous Strains Of Extremism Vying For Control Of The Middle
East Have Now Closed In On Iraq In An Effort To Bring Down Its Young
Democracy

Sunni Extremists, Led By Al Qaeda, Are Staging Sensational Attacks On
Innocent Men, Women, And Children In Iraq In An Attempt To Stoke Sectarian
Violence. These violent extremists' ranks include foreign fighters from a
variety of countries in the region who travel to Iraq through Syria. Their
operatives have killed those seeking to build a new future for the Iraqi
people, and their operations seek to create images of chaos and carnage to
break the will of the American people. Their targets include everyone they
consider infidels _ including Christians, Jews, Yezidis, Shia, and even
fellow Sunnis who do not share their radical distortion of Islam.

Shia Extremists, Backed By Iran, Are Training Iraqis To Carry Out Attacks
On Our Forces, The Iraqi Government, And The Iraqi People. Members of
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force are supplying extremist
groups with funding and weapons, including sophisticated improvised
explosive devices (IEDs). With the assistance of Hezbollah, they have
provided training for violent forces active inside Iraq.
  þ The Attacks On Our Bases And Our Troops Using Iranian-Supplied
    Munitions Have Increased In The Last Few Months _ Despite Pledges By
    Iran To Help Stabilize The Security Situation In Iraq. Recently,
    Coalition forces seized 240-millimeter rockets that had been
    manufactured in Iran this year and provided to Iraqi extremist groups
    by Iranian agents.
  þ The Iranian Regime Must Halt These Actions At Once. Some say Iran's
    leaders are not aware of what members of their own regime are doing.
    Others say Iran's leaders are actively seeking to provoke the West.
    Either way, Iranian leaders bear the responsibility for aiding attacks
    against Coalition forces and the murder of innocent Iraqis.

The Fight In Iraq Has A Direct Impact On The Safety Of Americans Here At
Home. We have seen what violent extremists will do when American forces are
actively engaged in Iraq, and we can envision what they would do if they
were emboldened by American forces in retreat.For all those who ask whether
the fight in Iraq is worth it, imagine an Iraq where militia groups backed
by Iran control large parts of the country, and al Qaeda has established
sanctuaries to safely plot future attacks on targets all over the world,
including the U.S. Homeland _ and they could use billions of dollars in oil
revenues to buy weapons and pursue their deadly ambitions.

The Momentum Is On Now Our Side In Iraq _ Our New Strategy Is Seizing The
Initiative From Our Enemy, And Giving It To The Iraqi People

Our New Strategy Is Showing Results In Better Security.
  þ Sectarian violence has sharply decreased in Baghdad.
  þ Since January, we have killed or captured an average of more than 1,500
    al Qaeda terrorists and other enemies of Iraq's elected government each
    month
  þ Al Qaeda is being displaced from former strongholds in Baghdad, Anbar,
    and Diyala provinces.
  þ We have conducted operations against Iranian Qods Force agents whose
    group supplies lethal munitions to extremist groups.
  þ We have targeted Iranian-backed Shia militants and their supply
    networks _ and Prime Minister Maliki has courageously committed to
    pursue them.

Our New Strategy Is Resulting In Encouraging Developments At The Local
Level, And As Iraqis Take Control Over Their Lives At The Local Level, They
Will Demand More Action From Their National Leaders In Baghdad. In the
cities and neighborhoods where they live, Iraqis are increasingly reaching
accommodations with each other, with the Coalition, and with the government
in Baghdad. This reconciliation is coming from the bottom up; it is having
an impact in the fight against the enemy; and it is building a solid
foundation for a democratic Iraq.
  þ In Anbar _ The Province That Had Been Called "Lost" To The Enemy _
    Increasing Numbers Of Local Sunnis Have Turned Against Al Qaeda. Local
    sheikhs have joined with American forces to drive the terrorists out of
    the capital city of Ramadi, and elsewhere, residents are providing
    critical intelligence, and tribesmen have joined the Iraqi police and
    security forces.
  þ Many Iraqis Who Once Felt Marginalized Are Rejoining The Political
    Process. Virtually every city and town in the province now has a mayor
    and a municipal council, and local officials are forming ties with the
    central government in Baghdad because these Sunni leaders now see a
    role for their people in the new Iraq. In an encouraging sign, the
    central government is beginning to respond with funding for vital
    services and reconstruction, and with increased security forces.
  þ In Other Provinces, There Are Also Signs Of Bottom Up Progress. For
    example, in Diyala province, the city of Baqubah re-opened six of its
    banks, providing residents with capital for the local economy. And in
    Ninewa province, local officials have established a commission to
    investigate corruption, with a local judge empowered to pursue charges
    of fraud and racketeering.

Iraq's Government Still Has More Work To Do To Meet Many Of Its Legislative
Benchmarks, But It Is Also Important To Note That Many Of The Goals Behind
These Benchmarks Are Being Achieved Without Legislation. For example, the
national government is already sharing oil revenues with provinces _
despite the fact that no formal law has been passed.
  þ The President Is Encouraged By The Agreement Reached Sunday Night By
    The Top Leaders In Iraq's Government. These leaders agreed on several
    draft pieces of legislation that are at the core of national
    reconciliation _ and are among the benchmarks identified by the United
    States Congress, including a draft law on de-Baathification reform and
    draft legislation on provincial powers. These measures still have to be
    passed by the Iraqi parliament, but the agreement shows that Iraq's
    leaders can put aside their differences, sit down together, and work
    out tough issues central to the fate of their country.
  þ Iraq's Government Is Also Making Gains In Other Important Areas.
    Electricity production is improving, and Iraq's parliament has passed
    about 60 pieces of legislation, including a $41 billion budget that
    includes $10 billion for reconstruction and capital investment.
  þ It Makes No Sense To Respond To Military Progress By Claiming That We
    Have Failed Because Iraq's Parliament Has Yet To Pass Every Law It Said
    It Would. Improving security is the precondition for making gains in
    other areas. In two weeks, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will
    return to Washington to deliver an interim assessment of the situation
    on the ground and the prospects for the future. This status report
    comes less than three months since the surge became fully operational.
    Congress should listen to it in its entirety and withhold conclusions
    until they can hear these men out.

Our Strategy Is Also Showing Results At The International Level. The
international community increasingly understands the importance of a free
Iraq, and we will continue to rally the world to this noble and necessary
cause.
  þ International Compact For Iraq: The United Nations and Iraq _ with
    support from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and
    nations from around the globe _ have finalized an International Compact
    for Iraq that will bring new economic assistance and debt relief in
    exchange for aggressive economic reform. So far, the Iraqis have made
    significant progress meeting IMF economic benchmarks.
  þ Neighbors Conference: The Iraqis have convened a Neighbors Conference
    that is bringing together nations in the region to help the Iraqis
    through specific security, economic, and diplomatic cooperation. As
    part of these diplomatic initiatives, Prime Minister Maliki has met
    with his counterparts in Turkey, Syria, and Iran to urge support for
    his nation.
  þ United Nations: The United Nations Security Council has decided to
    expand its mission in Iraq, and is seeking to help with local elections
    and reconciliation. The United Nations will soon name a new
    high-ranking envoy to Iraq, to coordinate the UN's expanded support for
    that country.
  þ Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is looking to open a new embassy in Baghdad.

ÿ

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