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|  Home >News & Policies >December 2005 | Printer-Friendly Version                          Email This Page |
|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|

For Immediate ReleaseDecember 7, 2005
**Fact Sheet: Rebuilding Iraq**
  En Español
     National Strategy for Victory in Iraq
**Today's Presidential Action:
**To Defeat The Enemy, The United States Is Helping Iraqis Rebuild.**  Over thecourse of this war, the Coalition has learned that winning the battle forIraqi cities is only a first step.  The Coalition has adjusted to win the"battle after the battle" by helping Iraqis consolidate their gains andkeep the terrorists from returning.
-  Iraqi Forces Are Securing Cities, Allowing For Targeted Reconstruction.   Assteady training produces more capable Iraqi Security Forces, those forceshave been able to better hold onto the cities Iraqi and Coalition forcescleared together.  With help from Coalition military and civilianpersonnel, the Iraqi government can then work with local leaders andresidents to begin reconstruction - with Iraqis leading the buildingefforts and the Coalition playing a supporting role.  This approach isworking in cities like Najaf and Mosul. Iraqi And Coalition Forces Have Cleared And Are Holding The City Of Najaf. 
Ninety miles south of Baghdad, Najaf is home to one of Shia Islam's holiestplaces - the Imam Ali Shrine.  As a predominantly Shia city, Najaf sufferedgreatly during Saddam's regime.  About a year after U.S. troops liberatedthe city, it fell under the sway of a radical and violent militia. Fighting damaged homes and businesses, and the local economy collapsed asvisitors and pilgrims stopped coming to the shrine out of fear for theirlives.	In the summer of 2004, the Iraqi government and Coalition decidedto retake control of the city.	Iraqi and Coalition forces rooted out themilitia in tough, urban fighting.  Together with the Iraqi government andthe Shia clerical community, we forced the militia to abandon the shrineand return it to legitimate Iraqi authority.  The militia committed todisarm and leave Najaf.
-  As Soon As The Fighting In Najaf Ended, Targeted Reconstruction MovedForward.   The Iraqi government played an active role, and so did ourmilitary commanders, diplomats, and workers from the U.S. Agency forInternational Development.  Together, they worked with Najaf's governor andother local officials to rebuild the local police force, repair residents'homes, refurbish schools, restore water and other essential services, andreopen a soccer stadium.  Fifteen months later, new businesses and marketshave opened in some of Najaf's poorest areas, religious pilgrims arevisiting the city again, and construction jobs are putting local residentsback to work.  One of the largest projects was the rebuilding of the NajafTeaching Hospital, which had been looted and turned into a militaryfortress by the militia.  Thanks to efforts by Iraqi doctors and localleaders, with the help of American personnel, the hospital is now open andcapable of serving hundreds of patients each day. Najaf Has Made Tremendous Progress.
  Najaf is now in the hands of electedgovernment officials.  An elected provincial council is at work draftingplans to bring more tourism and commerce to the city.  Political life hasreturned, and campaigns for the upcoming elections have begun, withdifferent parties competing for votes.	The Iraqi police are nowresponsible for day-to-day security.  An Iraqi battalion has assumedcontrol of the former American military base, and American forces are nowabout 40 minutes outside the city.  There is still plenty of work to bedone.  Sustaining electric power remains a major challenge, andconstruction has begun on three new substations to help boost capacity.  Toaddress a clean water shortage, new water treatment and sewage units arebeing installed.  Security has improved dramatically, but threats remain. Local leaders and Iraqi Security Forces are working to resolve theseproblems - and Americans are helping.
Iraqi And American Forces Have Cleared And Are Holding The City Of Mosul. 
Mosul is one of Iraq's largest cities and home to a diverse population ofSunni Arabs, Kurds, and other ethnic groups.  It was here that Americantroops brought justice to Saddam's sons in the summer of 2003.	Mosul wasrelatively quiet in the months after liberation, and American forces beganto redeploy elsewhere in the country.  Then, the enemy infiltrated thecity, and by late last year, they had gained control of much of Mosul. American and Iraqi forces responded with a series of coordinated strikes onthe most dangerous parts of the city and killed, captured, and cleared outmany of the terrorists and Saddamists.	Over time, the Iraqi police andlegitimate political leaders regained control.	As Iraqis have grown instrength and ability, they have taken more responsibility for the city'ssecurity, and Coalition forces have moved into a supporting role.
-  After The Security Situation Improved, Reconstruction Accelerated.   LocalIraqi leaders, with Coalition support, upgraded key roads and bridges overthe Tigris River, rebuilt schools and hospitals, and started refurbishingthe Mosul Airport.  Police stations and firehouses were rebuilt, and Iraqishave made major improvements in the city's water and sewage network.  Butreal challenges still remain.  Because the city is not receiving enoughelectricity, Iraqis have a major new project underway to expand the Mosulpower substation.  Terrorist intimidation is still a concern, but turnoutfor the October referendum was over 50 percent in the province where Mosulis located - more than triple the turnout in the January election.  With Progress, Serious Challenges Are Being Addressed.
 	Corruption existsat both the national and local levels of the Iraqi government.	Fraud willnot be tolerated, so the American Embassy in Baghdad is helping to demandtransparency and accountability for the money being invested inreconstruction.  Another problem is the infiltration of militia groups intothe Iraqi Security Forces - especially the Iraqi police.  We are helpingIraqis deal with this problem by embedding Coalition transition teams inIraqi units to mentor police and soldiers.  In a free Iraq, former militiamembers must shift their loyalty to the national government and learn tooperate under the rule of law.
**The United States Is Working With Iraq's Leaders To Build A Sound EconomyThat Will Deliver A Better Life For Iraqis.**  Iraq is a nation with thepotential for tremendous prosperity.  The country has a young and educatedworkforce, abundant land and water, and among the largest oil resources inthe world.  Yet for decades, Saddam Hussein used Iraq's wealth to enrichhimself and a privileged few and neglected the country's infrastructure andeconomy.  The Coalition is helping the new Iraqi government reverse decadesof economic destruction, reinvigorate its economy, and make responsiblereforms.  With Coalition help, the Iraqis are rebuilding infrastructure andestablishing the institutions of a market economy.  The entrepreneurialspirit is strong.  A free Iraq will be built by the free people of Iraq -and the United States is proud to help.
-  Reconstruction Efforts Are Focused On Local Projects That Deliver Rapid AndNoticeable Improvements.  The Coalition's approach to helping Iraqis rebuildhas changed and improved with time.  When the reconstruction process wasfirst begun in the spring of 2003, the focus was on building large-scaleinfrastructure - such as electrical plants and water treatment facilities. This approach was not meeting the priorities of the Iraqi people.  In manyplaces, the most urgent needs were smaller, localized projects like sewerlines and city roads.  In consultation with the Iraqi government, resourcesstarted to be used to fund smaller, local projects that could deliverrapid, noticeable improvements.  American military commanders were givenmore money for flexible use, and the Coalition worked with Iraqi leaders toprovide more contracts to Iraqi firms.	By adapting reconstruction efforts,the United States is now better able to help Iraqi leaders serve theirpeople. Together, Iraqis And Americans Are Making Progress.
  Reconstruction has notalways gone as well as hoped - primarily because of the securitychallenges.  Rebuilding a nation devastated by a dictator is a largeundertaking - even harder when terrorists attempt to destroy gains.  Yet,in the space of two and a half years, the United States has helped Iraqisconduct nearly 3,000 renovation projects at schools, train more than 30,000teachers, distribute more than 8 million textbooks, rebuild irrigationinfrastructure to help more than 400,000 rural Iraqis, and improve drinkingwater for more than 3 million people.  The Coalition has helped Iraqisintroduce a new currency, reopen their stock exchange, and extend $21million in micro-credit and small business loans.  As a result of theseefforts and Iraq's newfound freedom, more than 30,000 new Iraqi businesseshave registered since liberation, and according to a recent survey, morethan three-quarters of Iraqi business owners anticipate growth in theeconomy over the next two years.  This economic development and growth willbe key to addressing the high unemployment rate across many parts of thecountry.  In addition, Iraqis have negotiated significant debt relief andcompleted an economic report card with the International Monetary Fund - asignal that Iraqis are serious about reform.
**Victory In Iraq
**The United States Will Settle For Nothing Less Than Complete Victory InIraq.**  Withdrawing on an artificial deadline would endanger the Americanpeople, harm our military, and make the Middle East less stable.  It wouldalso give the terrorists exactly what they want.  The al-Qaida leaderZawahiri recently wrote to the terrorist Zarqawi in Iraq, and he cited theVietnam War as a reason to believe the terrorists can prevail.	Theterrorists think they can make America run in Iraq; the terrorists hopeAmerica will withdraw before the job is done - so they can take over thecountry and turn it into a base for future attacks.  America will not yieldthe future of Iraq to men like Zarqawi, nor will it yield the future of theMiddle East to men like bin Laden.
-  Building Democracy In Iraq Will Establish A Peaceful Civil Society That IsAn Ally In The War On Terror.   Free societies are peaceful societies, anddemocracies do not attack each other.  Free nations give their citizens apath to resolve their differences peacefully through the democraticprocess.  Democracy can be difficult, complicated, and even chaotic. Iraqis have to overcome many challenges, including longstanding ethnic andreligious tensions, and the legacy of decades of brutal repression.  Butthey are learning that democracy is the only way to build a just andpeaceful society - because it is the only system that gives every citizen avoice in determining their future.  # # #    Printer-Friendly Version                          Email This Page            President |	Vice President | 	First Lady | 	Mrs. Cheney | 	News & PoliciesHistory & Tours |	Kids |	Your Government | 	Appointments |	Jobs | 	Contact |				Text onlyAccessibility | 	Search | 	Privacy Policy | 	Help | 	Site Map****