The United States is in the process of sending an additional twenty-eight thousand troops to Baghdad, while the Iraqi military has deployed nine additional battalions to the Iraqi capital.
"The reinforcements we've sent to Baghdad are having an impact," said Mr. Bush. So it is particularly important that the extra troops that have been deployed be given time to stabilize the security situation.
"Nearly twelve million Iraqis voted in free elections under a democratic constitution that they wrote for themselves," he said. "And," said Mr. Bush, "their democratic leaders are now working to build a free society that upholds the rule of law, that respects the rights of its people, that provides them security, and is an ally in the war on terror:"
"The whole strategy is to give the Iraqi government time to reconcile, time to unify the country, time to respond to the demands of the twelve million people that voted."
President Bush says that the Iraqi government is following through on its promises to the U.S.-led coalition and to the Iraqi people:
"They have said that they will send Iraqi forces into Baghdad to take the lead, along with U.S. troops, to bring security to Baghdad, and they've done that. They said they'd name a commander for Baghdad; they have done that. They said they'd send up troops out into the neighborhoods to clear and hold and then build; they're doing that. They send they would send a budget up that would spend a considerable amount of their money on reconstruction; they have done that."
Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition forces have set up checkpoints and joint security stations throughout Baghdad. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has appointed an Iraqi military commander for Baghdad who is working closely with the U.S.-led coalition forces. And Iraqi leaders have pledged that there will be no safe haven for those who commit violence.
"I believe it's important," said President Bush, "to help this young democracy survive so that the country has a chance to become a stabilizing influence in a dangerous part of the world." The ultimate goal, he said, " is an Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself."
