-- Seize and hold Al Qaeda and militia strongholds. And assure the people in those areas that the security forces are there to stay and prevent both acts of terror and sectarian violence;

-- Begin the process of political reform so that the people of Iraq have an equitable distribution of the nation's oil wealth, and rule of law so that disputes can be resolved without resorting to bullets and IEDs.

Last December -- even before the additional troops arrived in Iraq -- I reported how the "Awakening" in violent Anbar province had created conditions where, for the first time, Sunni police, Shia soldiers and American troops were working together against Al Qaeda.

Now, even The New York Times has had to acknowledge that the surge strategy is working by running an Op-Ed this week by Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack of the liberal Brookings Institution, in which they noted how strategic Anbar is now a model for the rest of the country. The authors noted that "many of the corrupt and sectarian Iraqi commanders who once infested the (Iraqi Army) have been removed," and that the delivery of basic services such as electricity and clean water are underway. They point to challenges ahead, but it's a step in the right direction.

This is the time for President Bush to seize the moment and go before the American people. He needs to go to Iraq, meet there with Gen. Petraeus and see for himself what magnificent young Americans are doing on the battlefield.

During World War II, Winston Churchill went to where his troops were fighting to encourage them and make a dramatic point. This is such a moment for President Bush. It may be his last chance to rally the American people to win a war we dare not lose.