Regarding the handover of Anbar province - an email.

Seamus,

Going down to sign the Provincial Iraqi Control document with the Government of Iraq. This war isn't over but almost. We haven't quite won but almost. Light at the end of the tunnel almost blinding us. Can't hale but think of Chance Phelps and the 1,000+ other wonderful American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who have died here in Al Anbar. Attached are my remarks.

Semper Fi,

Kelly
 

PROVINCIAL IRAQI CONTROL (PIC) 1 SEPTEMBER 2008

NEARLY SIX YEARS AGO THE COALITION CAME TO IRAQ NOT TO ENSLAVE BUT TO FREE A PEOPLE FROM THE GRIP OF A TYRANT. WE ALSO CAME TO ENSURE THAT THE TYRANT AND HIS HENCHMEN COULD NEVER RE-ACQUIRE NUCLEAR OR CHEMICAL WEAPONS FOR THEIR OWN USE AGAINST THEIR OWN PEOPLE, OR TO PROVIDE THOSE WEAPONS TO THEIR TERRORIST PARTNERS WHO WOULD GLADLY USE THEM IN THE CAPITOL CITIES OF ANY NATION THAT DID NOT COWER AND SUBMIT TO THEIR SICK FORM OF EXTREMISM. THEY STILL WOULD. IT WAS NEVER ABOUT OIL. ONLY TRUE CYNICS ARE IGNORANT ENOUGH TO TRY AND MAKE THAT CASE. IT WAS ALSO NEVER ABOUT EMPIRE OR OCCUPATION. EVEN THE MOST MISINFORMED KNOWS THAT IN ALL THE WARS AMERICA HAS FOUGHT THE ONLY LAND WE HAVE RETAINED ARE THE CEMETERIES WHERE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OUR FALLEN REST FOR ETERNITY FAR AWAY FROM THEIR HOMES AND THEIR FAMILIES. THESE HALLOWED PLACES SERVE AS AN ETERNAL SYMBOL OF WHAT FREE MEN WILLINGLY DO WHO ARE NOT AFRAID TO PROTECT THEIR OWN PEOPLE, AND DIE FOR ANOTHER.

SEVEN MONTHS AGO THE CURRENT FORCE OF AMERICANS CAME TO ANBAR TO CARRY ON THE WORK OF ALL THE AMERICANS THAT HAVE SERVED HERE PREVIOUSLY, AND WE KNOW WE STAND ON THEIR SHOULDERS AND ARE REAPING THE REWARDS OF THEIR EFFORTS AND THE BLOOD THEY SHED. ON A PERSONAL NOTE I AM PRIVILEGED TO BE HERE FOR MY THIRD TOUR. I SAY THIS FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO AGAIN SERVE WITH YOUNG AMERICANS—THE BEST OF THEIR GENERATION—IN COMBAT. A SECOND REASON IS THERE IS NO GREATER HONOR OR PLEASURE FOR ANY MAN OR WOMAN THAN TO PROTECT ONE'S COUNTRY IN TIME OF GRAVE DANGER WHILE WEARING THE NATION'S CLOTH. FINALLY, I DO NOT THINK THERE COULD BE ANYTHING MORE GRATIFYING ON THIS EARTH FOR AN AMERICAN THAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FREEING OF A PEOPLE FROM THE GRIP OF A TYRANT, THEN HELPING THAT SAME PEOPLE REALIZE THE BENEFITS OF DEMOCRACY AND HELP THEM EXERCISE THE GOD GIVEN RIGHTS OF LIFE, LIBERTY , AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

THESE WORDS ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO WHAT WE ARE AS AMERICANS, BUT THE MEANING OF THESE WORDS HAVE GROWN DULL I THINK FOR MANY OF MY COUNTRYMEN BECAUSE THEY WERE WON FOR US BY AMERICANS OF GREAT CHARACTER GENERATIONS AGO. I CAN SPEAK PERSONALLY THAT THESE WORDS HAVE TAKEN ON NEW MEANING FOR ME. IT HAS NOT BEEN UNTIL I CAME HERE TO IRAQ AND STRUGGLED SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER WITH MEN AND WOMEN—AMERICAN AND IRAQI—WILLING TO TRADE THEIR LIVES AND WELLBEING TO MAKE THESE WORDS REAL THAT I HAVE TRULY APPRECIATED WHAT THEY HAVE MEANT IN MY OWN LIFE. OF WHAT THEY REALLY MEAN, AND HOW TRULY PRECIOUS THEY ARE. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED BETTER WHAT THE HUMAN COST WAS TO THOSE FIRST AMERICAN SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT AND DIED OVER TWO CENTURIES AGO, THAT THEN ALLOWED OTHER MEN THE FREEDOM TO WRITE THEM DOWN FOR THE AGES—AND LIVE THEM.

WHEN I RETURNED TO ANBAR IN FEBRUARY I'D BEEN AWAY THREE YEARS. WHAT I FOUND CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS SHOCKING. WHEN I WAS HERE LAST DOZENS OF IEDS DETONATED EVERYDAY IN AL ANBAR. FIRE FIGHTS WERE AS COMMON AS IEDS, AND MORTAR AND ROCKET ATTACKS A NIGHTLY ROUTINE. THE EMIRS OF AL QAEDA AND OTHER EQUALLY MURDEROUS GROUPS PREDICTED OUR IMMINENT DEFEAT AS THEY PURSUED A SICK FORM OF EXTREMISM NO RATIONAL MAN OR WOMAN HERE, OR ANYPLACE ELSE, COULD COMPREHEND. WHEN I LEFT HERE MANY IN MY OWN COUNTRY FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS BEGAN TO LOSE FAITH—BUT THE SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN, AND MARINES WHO FOUGHT OUR COMMON ENEMY TO A STANDSTILL NEVER DOUBTED OR WAIVERED IN THEIR DETERMINATION TO WIN. THE DAY AFTER I RETURNED IN FEBRUARY I WALKED THROUGH THE MARKET SECTION OF FALLUJAH. IT WAS BUSTLING WITH IRAQIS OF ALL AGES BUYING AND SELLING PRODUCTS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. ADULTS WAVED, PRESSED FORWARD TO SHAKE HANDS, AND MANY LIKE GOOD BUSINESSMEN EVERYWHERE TRIED TO MAKE A SALE . KIDS SWARMED AROUND THE MARINES TRYING OUT THE FEW ENGLISH WORDS THEY HAVE LEARNED IN SCHOOLS THAT ARE ALL NOW OPEN. PARENTS NO LONGER FEAR TO SEND THEIR BOYS AND GIRLS TO LEARN, A PRACTICE THAT UNDER THE EXTREMISTS WAS OFTEN A DEATH SENTENCE.

WHEN I LAST VISITED THAT CITY IT WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON EARTH. IT WAS A GUNFIGHT GOING IN, AND A GUNFIGHT COMING OUT EVERYDAY. THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY'S POPULATION LIVED IN STARK TERROR FROM THE MOST EVIL MEN ON THE PLANET. IT WAS THE SAME THEN IN RAMADI, HADITHAH, AND ALL THE WAY ALONG THE EUPHRATES RIVER VALLEY TO THE SYRIAN BORDER—BUT NO LONGER. LIKE FALLUJAH THE SCHOOLS ARE OPEN, MARKETS THRIVE, AND POST-WAR RECOVERY GAINS MOMENTUM ACROSS AL ANBAR. THIS WAR IS NOT QUITE OVER, BUT IS BEING WON AND TODAY PRIMARILY BY THE PEOPLE OF ANBAR. AL QAEDA IS NOT ENTIRELY DEFEATED IN ANBAR, BUT THEIR END IS NEAR. THEY NO LONGER HAVE ANY SUPPORT FROM THE PEOPLE OF ANBAR. THEY ARE NO LONGER AN ORGANIZED INSURGENCY, BUT A SENSELESS GROUP OF MURDERS. AL QAIDA KNOWS NOW MORE THAN EVER THAT IF THEY ARE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO COME OUT OF THE HOLES THEY HIDE IN TO MURDER AND INTIMIDATE, THEY WILL IMMEDIATELY BE MET BY DEDICATED IRAQI POLICE AND SOLDIERS IN VASTLY INCREASED NUMBERS AND EFFECTIVENESS, WITH TOUGH YOUNG AMERICANS STANDING FIRM AND UNAFRAID IN THE BACKGROUND ALWAYS READY TO SUPPORT.

ANBAR IS STILL A DANGEROUS PLACE I DO NOT HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT, BUT LESS SO EVERYDAY AND NOTHING LIKE IT WAS THANK GOD ONLY A SHORT TIME AGO. I KNOW I DO NOT HAVE TO CONVINCE THE PEOPLE OF ANBAR TO SEE THIS FIGHT THROUGH TO THE END AS YOUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF YOUR CHILDREN DEPEND ON VICTORY. AMERICANS SHOULD ALSO UNDERSTAND THE STAKES THAT ARE INVOLVED NOT ONLY FOR IRAQ , BUT FOR OUR OWN COUNTRY. WE TOO MUST SEE THIS EFFORT THROUGH BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, THE AMERICAN THING TO DO, AND IT PROTECTS OUR HOMES AS WELL. AMERICANS SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF DEFEAT HERE OR ANYWHERE ELSE BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW "GREATEST GENERATION" IN JUST ENOUGH NUMBERS WILLING TO GIVE UP THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES AND DEFEND US ALL, WHILE SPREADING FREEDOM TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER KNOW IT. AMERICA 'S WARRIORS HAVE NEVER KNOWN DEFEAT IN THE PAST. WHEN WE HAVE LOST OTHERS HAVE DECLARED DEFEAT, NOT US. THIS CONFLICT IS ALMOST WON AND THESE PEOPLE ARE ALMOST FREE—WE SHOULD NOT WAIVER AND I AM CONFIDENT WE WILL SEE IT THROUGH AND REMAIN HERE WITH YOU UNTIL THE TIME IS RIGHT TOLEAVE.

IN CLOSING, WE ARE IN THE LAST TEN YARDS OF THIS FIGHT AND THE GOAL LINE IS SO CLOSE. THE IRONY IS THAT SECURITY FORCES, IRAQI AND AMERICAN, CAN DO LITTLE IN THIS FINAL PLAY OF THE GAME THAN HOLD WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED AND NOT LOSE AN INCH TO THE TERRORISTS. WHAT ANBAR NEEDS NOW, WHAT WILL END THIS CONFLICT FOREVER AND PREVENT AL QAIDA FROM EVER COMING BACK ARE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RECONSTRUCTION, AND FUNDS FOR COMPENSATION. THIS CAN ONLY COME FROM THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN BAGHDAD AND I AM CONFIDENT IT WILL AS ANBAR HAS JUST SUBMITTED A COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET AND SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST THAT WHEN FULLY FUNDED WILL CAUSE A DIFFERENT KIND OF EXPLOSION IN ANBAR, AN EXPLOSION OF FUEL AVAILABILITY, ELECTRICITY, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND JOBS. THERE ARE TWO OTHER THINGS THAT ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED THAT SECURITY FORCES CANNOT PROVIDE: TRUST AND FRIENDSHIP AMONGST YOU, AND BETWEEN THE PROVINCE AND THE REST OF IRAQ . I PRAY GOD YOU CAN ACHIEVE THIS AS YOU WILL FAIL IF YOU DO NOT, AND THE AGONY WE HAVE ENDURED TOGETHER WILL HAVE BEEN FOR NOTHING.