On January 10th, 2007, President Bush outlined his plan for success in Iraq. This plan consisted of a number of changes he and our armed forces will implement in 2007 in order to give us the ability to leave Iraq in the hands of a stable Iraqi government. In case you missed it, here are some of the points of his plan:
*An Iraqi military commander and two deputy commanders will be appointed to control the Baghdad region.
*Iraqi forces in the area will be increased. In all, there will be 18 Iraqi police and army brigades operating out of local police stations. They will bring increased stability and build trust among the local neighborhoods.
*American force levels in the Baghdad area will be increased by 20,000 troops in order to provide increased security and stability.
*American forces in the Anbar province will be increased by 4,000 troops in order to counter increased Al-Qaeda operations in the region.
*Sectarian interference will no longer keep security forces out of certain areas of Baghdad.
*American support is not open ended.
*Military operations in Baghdad must be seen by Iraqis as accompanied by improvement in infrastructure and living conditions.
*Oil revenue will be shared with all Iraqis by the Iraqi government (not clearly laid out how).
*There will be an increase in the number of embedded American military and security advisers.
*An additional carrier group is being moved to that region.
*A reconstruction coordinator will be appointed to oversee reconstruction efforts. The number of reconstruction teams will be doubled.
*We will work closer with other countries in the region toward success in Iraq.
Before I evaluate his speech, I would like to elaborate on a few points the President tried to stress. First, what is the purpose of the troop increase? The president claimed that we are having success clearing neighborhoods of insurgents, but once the troops move on, more insurgents return to the previously cleared neighborhood. The increase in troops will allow those neighborhoods to remain secure. The increase in Iraqi forces will assist with this.
A greater emphasis is being placed on reconstruction. The president said that Iraqis must see marked improvements in infrastructure and quality of life. This will improve the image of Americans and the Iraqi government to Iraqis.
This is one point he really stressed: We will not see immediate improvement. This plan is aimed at long term success, and it will be successful in the long term. There will continue to be suicide bombers, attacks, and IEDS for a while. The insurgents will continue to flood television with scenes of death, horror, and terror. However, things will get better over time.
A large emphasis will be given on increasing the stability and competence of the Iraqi government. There will be provincial elections in the near future. $10 billion will be spent on infrastructure. Oil profits will be shared with all Iraqis. Training and equipping of the Iraqi army and police forces remains a high priority.
Iran and Syria are supporting terrorists and insurgents by allowing them to cross their borders freely and providing monetary support. We will put greater effort into stopping the traffic between Syria and Iran.
Al-Qaeda is heavily invested in Iraq. They want the Iraqi government to fall. They have made Iraq dangerous and have made it their goal to tear down the democratic government in Iraq in order to build an Islamic state. This will give them a safe haven, training ground, and recruiting ground for extremists and fundamentalists. Al-Qaeda desperately wants Iraq to crumble into chaos. If it does, it will completely destabilize the region and cause all kinds of problems. The biggest winner would be Iran.
Was this an effective speech? From the point of view of the president, I think it was. He successfully outlined his plan and the changes he is planning to make. He outlined the future he sees for Iraq. But here was one of the best points he made: HE ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MISTAKES MADE IN IRAQ. In doing so, he acknowledged that things weren't going well in Iraq and that he is ready to move in a new direction.
Now, it's hard to discuss the success of the president's speech without discussing the quality of the president's plan. Will his plan work? The answer is...I don't think any of us really know. However, at least he is trying something new. He is moving in a new direction, increasing the responsibility of the Iraqi government and security forces, working closely with other countries in the region, and letting the Iraqis know that our support is not unlimited. They have to take responsibility for their country soon. I don't know if this plan will create a stable Iraq, but I think it's better than pulling out completely at this time and it's better than continuing with our current strategy.
One of the President's final points was that victory in Iraq will not look like the victory our forefathers saw. There will be no surrender on the deck of a battleship. However, if and when we succeed, we will leave Iraq in the hands of a stable government that protects people's rights and values freedom. The country will not be a haven for terrorists and extremists in the region, but a country that won't tolerate fundamentalist terrorists. Iraq will become a safe haven from the "hateful ideology of the enemy." The consequences of failure are great.