For Immediate Release
September 14, 2004

Global Message

From remarks by NSA Rice in interviews with CBS and CNN, 9/12/04

The Iraqi people are moving toward elections -- they have established their own government; have sovereignty; have had their national conference; and now have a national council.

One of the real successes for Iraqi security forces recently has been that the situation in Najaf was resolved without having to storm the shrines. Iraqi forces are now in control in that city.

Iraqis are signing up in droves to become part of the security forces, whether it is police, army or national guard. There are strikes against safe houses for foreign terrorists and against insurgent strongholds.

Three years ago, terrorists had Afghanistan as a base of operations and were protected and helped by the Taliban regime. That regime is gone. Now, the terrorists are facing Afghan fighters now who are allies in the war on terrorism.

Pakistan was an ally of the Taliban three years ago. Now Pakistan is pursuing them aggressively along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The terrorists have lost three-quarters of their members and leaders, including some of their best field generals like Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who plotted 9/11. Their world is getting smaller.