Rice and Gates address the future of Iraq

In their Washington Post op-ed Wednesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates discuss next steps for Iraq.

2008 will be a year of “critical transition” as the troop drawdown continues and Iraq is left to work harder to control its own territory, Rice and Gates say. They add that a normal bilateral relationship is needed between Iraq and the U.S., “with the support of moderate political forces from all of Iraq’s communities – Sunni, Shiite and Kurd.”

They argue that the Iraqi government wants sovereignty, and is working hard to obtain it, citing the fact that Iraq’s police and army are taking the reigns in protecting their citizens. With the help of the United States, “Iraq [is] on the path to self-sufficiency,” Rice and Gates say. They state that an integral phase in this process will develop in the coming months with the help of military and diplomatic personnel. Rice and Gates “encourage Congress and the public to support the efforts of our senior diplomats and military officers as they forge ahead with these talks – which we believe are essential to a successful outcome in Iraq and, by extension, the vital interests and security of the United States.”

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