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Section[ PART I - Strategic Overview

Title[ VICTORY IN IRAQ DEFINED

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

OUR NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR VICTORY IN IRAQ:

Helping the Iraqi People Defeat the Terrorists and Build an Inclusive Democratic State

PART I -  STRATEGIC OVERVIEW

"Our mission in Iraq is clear.  We're hunting down the terrorists.  We're helping Iraqis build a

free nation that is an ally in the war on terror.  We're advancing freedom in the broader Middle

East.  We are removing a source of violence and instability, and laying the foundation of peace

for our children and grandchildren."

-President George W. Bush, June 28, 2003

VICTORY IN IRAQ DEFINED

As the central front in the global war on terror, success in Iraq is an essential element

in the long war against the ideology that breeds international terrorism.   Unlike past

wars, however, victory in Iraq will not come in the form of an enemy's surrender, or

be  signaled  by  a  single  particular  event  -  there  will  be  no  Battleship  Missouri,  no

Appomattox.  The ultimate victory will be achieved in stages, and we expect:

-- In the short term:

-   An Iraq that is making steady progress in fighting terrorists and neutralizing the insurgency,

meeting political milestones; building democratic institutions; standing up robust security

forces to gather intelligence, destroy terrorist networks, and maintain security; and tackling

key economic reforms to lay the foundation for a sound economy.

-- In the medium term:

-   An Iraq that is in the lead defeating terrorists and insurgents and providing its own security,

with a constitutional, elected government in place, providing an inspiring example to

reformers in the region, and well on its way to achieving its economic potential.

-- In the longer term:

-   An Iraq that has defeated the terrorists and neutralized the insurgency.

-   An Iraq that is peaceful, united, stable, democratic, and secure, where Iraqis have the

institutions and resources they need to govern themselves justly and provide security for their

country.

-   An Iraq that is a partner in the global war on terror and the fight against the proliferation of

weapons of mass destruction, integrated into the international community, an engine for

regional economic growth, and proving the fruits of democratic governance to the region.

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