Progress In Iraq Has Always Been About

The Question Is Always How You Get The Number Of Troops Needed. They Do Not Have To Be Coalition Forces. We Also Have To Expand The Training Program For The Afghan National Army And The National Police, In Particular. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates Has Already Announced Support For A Significant Increase In The Afghan Army.

Over The Last Few Years They Have Done A Superb Job In Their Fight Against Al-qaida. As You May Recall, Our Embassy In Jedda (in Saudi Arabia) Was Overrun Some Four Years Ago And A Number Of Foreign Workers Went Home Because Of Violence Against Them.

Let's Remember That The Reason We Are There Is That We Have Vital Interests In Afghanistan, Hugely Important National Interests, As Do The Other Countries Involved.

The Progress In Iraq Is Still Fragile. And It Could Still Be Reversed. Iraq Still Faces Innumerable Challenges, And They Will Be Evident During What Will Likely Be A Difficult Process As The Newly Elected Council Of Representatives Selects The Next Prime Minister, President, And Speaker Of The Council.

First And Foremost Is To Not Allow The Reestablishment, If You Will, Of An Extremist Sanctuary That Can Export The Kind Of Terror That Ended Up With Terrorists Taking Down The World Trade Center And Plowing Into The Pentagon And A Field In Pennsylvania. That's The Point: We Started This War Because The Sept. 11 Attack Came From This Area. And We Do Not Fight Alone, But With Some 40 Allies Who Share That View.