White House Report, October 3: Iraq, nominations

President Bush met in the Oval Office October 3 with former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, who spent more than four months in Iraq helping to build an Iraqi police force, to discuss progress on improving the security situation in Iraq.

In remarks on the South Lawn afterwards, the president praised Commissioner Kerik for his efforts, saying that "because of his leadership, his knowledge and his experience" the police force in Baghdad was created very quickly.

Commissioner Kerik briefly described the situation in Baghdad when he arrived there four and a half months ago, saying, "There was no electricity. They didn't have telephones, communications, radios. They basically had nothing." Over a period of four months the police force grew to 40,000 police officers, 450 squad cars and 35 police stations in Baghdad. According to Commissioner Kerik, the Iraqis "have made tremendous progress. ... They are arresting the Fedayeen Saddam and the Baathists."

Bush said the police force is "important because the ultimate solution to the security issues in Iraq is for the Iraqi citizens to manage their own affairs." He added that the 750 new Iraqi army soldiers graduating from training on October 4 are part of the strategy "to enable the Iraqis to protect themselves."

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan highlighted the importance of international cooperation in the effort, citing Jordan's involvement in the training of Iraqi police officers as "part of a broader international participation" as well as "part of helping the Iraqis assume more and more responsibility and ... part of improving the security situation in Iraq."

WHITE HOUSE SENDS NOMINATIONS TO SENATE

President Bush sent the following nominations to the Senate October 3 for confirmation:

Michele M. Leonhart, of California, to be Deputy Administrator of Drug Enforcement, vice John B. Brown, III, resigned.

Edward B. O'Donnell, Jr., of Tennessee, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)