Bush, Iraqi leader to accelerate forces training
US President George W. Bush says he and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed on the need to accelerate the training of Iraqi security forces as a means of empowering Iraq's democratic government to stem the violence in the country.
Speaking today in his weekly radio address to the American people, Bush said in his meeting with Maliki in Amman, Jordan, November 30 that "we both agreed that we need to do more, and we need to do it faster" in training Iraqi security forces.
"By helping Iraq's elected leaders get the Iraqi forces they need, we will help Iraq's democratic government become more effective in fighting the terrorists and other violent extremists, and in providing security and stability, particularly in Baghdad," the president said.
Bush said that with each meeting he has had with the Iraqi leader, "I'm becoming more impressed by his desire to make the difficult choices that will put his country on a better path."
The United States wants to help Maliki strengthen his democratic government and build "a country that is united, where the rule of law prevails and the rights of minorities are respected."
The long-term security of Iraq depends not only on its security forces, but also on reconciliation between the country's ethnic and religious communities, Bush said, and Maliki "has committed his government to achieving that goal."
Yesterday, the US Department Of State was asked that there was a news report quoting senior administration officials that the Administration or the State Department is considering abandoning the outreach to the Sunni insurgencies in Iraq. Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said "that story purports to discuss a variety of things in terms of the internal deliberation to the Administration related to the policy review, and I'm certainly not going to comment on any of our interagency discussions or our internal review of issues here. The one thing that I can make clear, though, is what US policy is concerning engagement and involvement with Iraq's different communities. And any story that's claiming that the United States has decided to back or support one side or another or one faction or another in Iraq, or is abandoning its efforts to promote broad national reconciliation, aren't correct. We do remain committed, the Administration, the Secretary, Mr. Zelikow, among others, remain committed to an inclusive Iraqi political process and that means representation from all of Iraq's communities. This is something you heard from the President. He reaffirmed that in the comments he made with Prime Minister Maliki in his press briefing and certainly in his meetings with him yesterday. We support a political process in Iraq that includes all groups and all individuals who are committed to renounce violence and to work with the democratically elected government to resolve differences. And certainly also continue to support the Prime Minister's efforts and the efforts of others in the Iraqi Government to promote national reconciliation, because it's a vital element in being able to end violence and bring stability to the country."
Ask if the US will continue to be involved in this process or will it just delegate it to the Iraqis, Casey replied "our policy has been to support this process. These are Iraqi-led efforts and they have been Iraqi-led efforts but they are efforts that we support because, again, we believe that President Maliki -- Prime Minister Maliki and his government are correct in saying that the solution to achieving peace and to achieving stability in a democratic government that is fully functioning in Iraq is to have broad-based national reconciliation. All communities in Iraq, Sunni, Shia, Kurds, others, all have to have a voice in a unitary and federal Iraq. That's been our policy; that continues to be our policy."
Today, turning to the Iraq policy debate within the United States, president Bush said success in Iraq also will require leaders from both US political parties to "come together and find greater consensus on the best path forward."
Bush said US military leaders have been asked to provide recommendations on strategy, and a panel led by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Congressman Lee Hamilton is expected to present a report of its findings the week of December 4.
"I want to hear all advice before I make any decisions about adjustments to our strategy in Iraq," Bush said, adding that by working together, Americans can help the Iraqi people build "a free and democratic nation in the heart of the Middle East," and strengthen moderates and reformers across the region.
