Well, the hardest thing to do, as we know from our own experience on 9/11 is protect everything all the time.

But the truth of the matter is that there is there is an opportunity for them to participate in the economic and political future of the country and certainly in the security life of the country.

Certainly our goal is to leave Iraq, but we can't leave Iraq with our forces until we know that the Iraqi security forces are capable and efficient enough to defend the sovereignty of the nation.

As far as Zarqawi is concerned, there is a network of extremists; it's not just Zarqawi.

Morale is good; troops are confident; leaders are capable.

You know as well as I do that counterinsurgency is a very nuanced type of military operation.

But as we move from this period of what many Iraqis regard as perceived occupation, we need to move towards one of partnership.