Iraq’s Compact with America

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad writes in the WSJ’s OpinionJournal[*1] of seven points that the US and Iraq have agreed to:

1. Iraq needs a “national compact” enshrined in its constitution.

2. The Iraqi government and the coalition will work together to isolate and defeat the terrorists and Baathists who want the restoration of the old regime.

3. The U.S. and the Iraqi government are seeking to encourage the region’s leaders to address problems in a new cooperative spirit and to pressure those who continue to foment instability.

4. The U.S. will work with the Iraqi government to improve the capacity of Iraqi ministries.

5. We will seek to increase economic opportunity. Not enough emphasis has been placed on developing the private sector.

6. The U.S. will work with the Iraqi government to set the conditions for a successful election–with full participation of all communities.

7. I will be engaging across the board to assist the Iraqi government to achieve our common objectives and mobilize more support by other countries.

Go read the full op-ed, which lays out The Plan (and, incidentally, the “exit strategy”) for Iraq.