Excerpted from "The Advisor" a semimonthly publication of the Multi-National Security Transition Command

[…] We’re very pleased to see that there has been progress in Iraq since the last ministerial in Istanbul. I would just note that violence in Iraq has decreased. Iraq’s leaders have certainly made progress in passing legislation on the budget, provincial powers, de-Baathification reform, pensions and amnesty. They have significantly improved Iraq’s budget execution and they are now allocating more of Iraq’s own budget to build the infrastructure and provide the services that the Iraqi people expect from their elected government.

[…] Senior representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Syria, Turkey, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Sweden and the United States attended a daylong meeting of Iraq's neighbors April 22 in Kuwait City. In addition, representatives of the United Nations, the European Union presidency, NATO, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League also attended the neighbors meeting.

[…] We have issued a declaration that has a vision of regional stability, peace and prosperity, and affirmed our commitment to work together and to consult as partners and friends as we continue to make a vision of this reality. We affirmed the value of these meetings and pledge to continue meeting at regular intervals in order -- and consider common approaches to key issues another way -- another shared vision of regional stability and development.

[…] "Iraq's fellow Arab states must fulfill their promises to increase their engagement -- diplomatic, economic, social and cultural -- with Iraq's government and people. That includes establishing embassies in Baghdad and exchanging ambassadors," Rice says. Such engagement with Iraq does not have to match the efforts of the United States, but, increasingly, the conditions in Iraq provide an opportunity for its neighbors to have diplomatic representation there, she says.

[…] Iraqi families displaced by conflict need more help, says a top U.S. diplomat who recently returned from a tour of the Middle East and Europe to urge nations to join the United States in lending continued support.

“This is a shared responsibility and the stakes are high,” says Ambassador James Foley, the State Department's senior coordinator for Iraqi refugee issues. “We all have to contribute and contribute more.”

[…] Senior Coordinator for Iraqi Refugee Issues Ambassador James B. Foley is encouraging increased contributions from regional and traditional donor countries to support international efforts to assist Iraqi refugees. In late March, Ambassador Foley traveled to the Middle East and Europe to urge the Arab League, the European Union and individual member states to increase humanitarian assistance for Iraqi refugees.

[…] The immediate goal of the surge was to bring down the sectarian violence that threatened to overwhelm the government in Baghdad, restore basic security to Iraqi communities, and drive the terrorists out of their safe havens. As General Petraeus told Congress, American and Iraqi forces have made significant progress in all these areas. While there is more to be done, sectarian violence is down dramatically.

[…] Today, President Bush announced that – after detailed discussions with the Secretaries of State and Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff – he is accepting General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker's recommendations on the way ahead in Iraq.

General Petraeus reported that security conditions have improved enough to withdraw all five surge brigades by the end of July. This is a 25 percent decrease of U.S. combat brigades in Iraq from the year before.

[…] Bush’s announcement April 10 followed two days of testimony to Senate and House committees by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and coalition forces commander General David Petraeus, who reported “fragile but reversible” progress in Iraq since the launching of the 2007 surge strategy -- the addition of 30,000 U.S. troops to help Iraqis take back their country from extremists and set the stage for political reform, reconstruction and economic development.

[…] Since Ambassador Crocker and I appeared before you seven months ago, there has been significant but uneven security progress in Iraq. Since September, levels of violence and civilian deaths have been reduced substantially, Al Qaeda-Iraq and a number of other extremist elements have been dealt serious blows, the capabilities of Iraqi Security Force elements have grown, and there has been noteworthy involvement of local Iraqis in local security.

[…] Last September, I said that the cumulative trajectory of political, economic and diplomatic developments in Iraq was upwards, although the slope of that line was not steep. Developments over the last seven months have strengthened my sense of a positive trend. Immense challenges remain and progress is uneven and often frustratingly slow; but there is progress. Sustaining that progress will require continuing U.S. resolve and commitment.

[…] Today, President Bush visited the National Museum of the United States Air Force and discussed the political and economic changes currently taking place in Iraq. Last year, the President ordered 30,000 additional soldiers and Marines into Iraq, and gave them a new mission, to focus on protecting the Iraqi people, and to hold the gains that had been made. The other goal of the surge was to open up space for political and economic progress after security returned.

[…] We've got men and women who have been to both theaters in the war on terror multiple times, and that's a strain and it's hard, and I understand it is. On the other hand, our troops know it's necessary. I am focused on making sure that we do not allow the sacrifice that has gone over the last five years to go in vain; that we end up making the hard decisions now, and helping the Iraqis now to develop a peaceful and free society in the heart of the Middle East, which will enable the next generation's children to grow up in a peaceful world -- or the next generation to grow up in a peaceful world.

[…] “Because we acted, Saddam Hussein no longer fills fields with the remains of innocent men, women and children. Because we acted, Saddam's torture chambers and rape rooms and children's prisons have been closed for good. Because we acted, Saddam's regime is no longer invading its neighbors or attacking them with chemical weapons and ballistic missiles. Because we acted, Saddam's regime is no longer paying the families of suicide bombers in the Holy Land,” Bush said.

[…] The Government of Iraq’s General Amnesty Law represents a benchmark in facilitating political reconciliation and the rule of law in Iraq. The General Amnesty Law addresses the scope of eligibility for amnesty for Iraqis in Iraqi detention facilities, whether they have been brought to trial or not. The law exempts from this amnesty those who have committed specific serious crimes, such as premeditated murder or kidnapping, and those who are subject to the death penalty.

[…] We, at this time very well -- this is a very important message for everybody. As far as we are concerned, this is another evidence for the confirmation of the support of the United States for Iraq, for the people of Iraq, and also for the support of the people of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan region, and another evidence of the support of the United States for the democracy process and building a free, federal, democratic Iraq.

[…] The first subject of discussion focused on the strategic agreement between Iraq and the United States. And I can characterize our discussion that our views regarding the strategic agreements are identical when it comes to the principles that will guide this agreement. Among these principles, and foremost among these principles, is the protection of the full Iraqi sovereignty under the agreement as well as taking Iraq out of Chapter Seven of the United Nations. Another issue related to this agreement is to make sure that this agreement is not designed against any country in the region.

[…] I come away with a sense that there's been significant progress in the 10 months since I was last here; that we've made progress not only on the security front, but that they've made progress in governing, as well.
It's clear that there's still a number of major issues that need to be addressed that they are focused on as a government, and I encourage them to -- we wanted to work with them to resolve as many of those as possible, as soon as possible.

[…] Also we have discussed various security issues relating to Iraq, as well as the region, and the need to achieve more and more progress and to cement the progress that has been achieved so far. I also took the opportunity to speak with the Vice President about the importance of the success when it comes to security. We believe this is a prelude and it's important for further, future cooperation, particularly the economic cooperation between the two countries.

[…] The United States remains committed to helping the people of Afghanistan and Iraq confront the forces of extremism and build effective democracies. “The effect of a free Iraq and a free Afghanistan will reach beyond the borders of those two countries,” President Bush said March 11. “I believe the success of these two countries will show others the way, will show others what's possible.”