[ 2006-12-11 09:33 ]
(Dec.2 ,2006)
Good morning. This week, I held important meetings at the White House about the situation in Iraq.
On Monday, I met in the Oval Office with one of Iraq's most influential Shia leaders, His Eminence Abdul Aziz al Hakim. We discussed the desire of the Iraqi people to see their unity government succeed, and how the United States can help them achieve that goal.
On Thursday, I had breakfast with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain. We discussed the sectarian violence in Iraq and the need to confront extremists inside Iraq and throughout the region. The Prime Minister explains it this way: "The violence is not ... an accident or a result of faulty planning. It is a deliberate strategy. It is the direct result of outside extremists teaming up with internal extremists -- al Qaeda with [the] Sunni insurgents, [and Iran with] Shia militia -- to foment hatred and thus throttle at birth the possibility of non-sectarian democracy."
The Prime Minister and I also discussed the report I received this week from the Iraq Study Group, chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Congressman Lee Hamilton. Their report provides a straightforward picture of the grave situation we face in Iraq. The Iraq Study Group's report also explicitly endorses the strategic goal we've set in Iraq: an Iraq that can "govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself."
The report went on to say, "In our view, this definition entails an Iraq with a broadly representative government that maintains its territorial integrity, is at peace with its neighbors, denies terrorism a sanctuary, and doesn't brutalize its own people. Given the current situation in Iraq, achieving this goal will require much time and will depend primarily on the actions of the Iraqi people."
I agree with this assessment. I was also encouraged that the Iraq Study Group was clear about the consequences of a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq. The group declared that such a withdrawal would "almost certainly produce greater sectarian violence" and lead to "a significant power vacuum, greater human suffering, regional destabilization, and a threat to the global economy." The report went on to say, "If we leave and Iraq descends into chaos, the long-range consequences could eventually require the United States to return."
The Iraq Study Group understands the urgency of getting it right in Iraq. The group also understands that while the work ahead will not be easy, success in Iraq is important, and success in Iraq is possible. The group proposed a number of thoughtful recommendations on a way forward for our country in Iraq. My administration is reviewing the report, and we will seriously consider every recommendation. At the same time, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the National Security Council are finishing work on their own reviews of our strategy in Iraq. I look forward to receiving their recommendations. I want to hear all advice as I make the decisions to chart a new course in Iraq.
I thank the members of the Iraq Study Group for their hard work and for the example of bipartisanship that they have set. The group showed that Americans of different political parties can agree on a common goal in Iraq and come together on ways to achieve it. Now it is the responsibility of all of us in Washington -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- to come together and find greater consensus on the best way forward.
As part of this effort, I met this week with House and Senate leaders from both parties, as well as senior members of the Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees. We had productive discussions about our shared duty to forge a bipartisan approach to succeed in Iraq. The future of a vital region of the world and the security of the American people depend on victory in Iraq. I'm confident that we can move beyond our political differences and come together to achieve that victory. I will do my part.
Thank you for listening.
throttle at birth : 扼杀在摇篮里
Take part in, join in, participate, attend 四个表示“参加”的单词或短语
Big Ben and gorilla surprise 维修大本钟,大猩猩生子
Ebola outbreak and brain injuries 埃博拉疫情,脑部创伤
Acknowledge and admit 两个表示“承认”单词的区别
Distinguished 和 distinguishable 之间的区别
Simple, innocent, naive, pure 四个近义词的区别
Clash 和 crash 之间的区别
Delhi's pollution and South Africa's solar power 新德里环境污染,南非发展太阳能
Angelina Jolie to divorce, Karaoke star at 80 安吉丽娜·朱莉提出离婚申请,八十岁老人出唱片
Mars bars and baby gorilla 火星巧克力棒和大猩猩产幼子
Distinct 和 distinctive 之间的区别
Cosmonaut anniversary and wallaby internet star 宇航员周年纪念日,小袋鼠轰动互联网
Indian state introduces 'fat tax' 印度一省拟征收“脂肪税”
Restrain 和 constrain 的区别
Solar superpower, female commander and hospital demolished 太阳能超级大国,女海军司令官和著名医院化为废墟
Artefacts in Sydney and dog gets medal 悉尼出土文物,英雄狗获奖章
Russian athletes and friendly robots 俄罗斯运动员服用兴奋剂,“合作机器人”
Dangerous heartbeat, Spike Lee and the Oscars 危险的心跳,斯派克·李抵制奥斯卡
India's sewer workers and British school standards 印度下水道工人施工安全,英国在校生学习成绩下降
US-Cuba flights and male cosmetic surgery 美国-古巴复航和男性整容手术
Afghanistan, cancer and athletics boss 英美支持阿富汗政府军,癌症发病原因, 国际田联官员停职
In one ear and out the other 左耳进,右耳出
Appreciate 和 recognise 之间的区别
Drought in Ethiopia and MS treatment 埃塞俄比亚干旱,多发性硬化治疗手段新进展
Darkness over Indonesia and the 'fifth Beatle' dies 印度尼西亚日全食,“第五位披头士”去世
Connection and link 两个表示“关系”的单词
UN female, New flag and Apollo 11 倡议提名女秘书长,新西兰换国旗和阿波罗11号再创历史
All things to all people 八面玲珑
Battery risk, Farmer anti-theft solution 纽扣电池的潜在危险,牧场主防盗有术
Zika virus and the A4 waist challenge 寨卡病毒,“A4腰挑战”