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Bush vows to stay in Iraq
18/03/2006 22:46 - (SA)
Washington - Three years after the war in Iraq began, United States president George W Bush says going to war was "the right decision" and vowed to overcome bloody violence that has killed 2 300 US soldiers.
In his weekly radio address in the US, co-inciding with the third anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, Bush said: "We will finish the mission. By defeating the terrorists in Iraq, we will bring greater security to our own country."
Recent polls have found his approval ratings at some of their lowest levels ever, with more and more Americans skeptical of his handling of the war and dubious that the invasion to remove Saddam Hussein was worth it.
Bush said: "The decision by the United States and our coalition partners to remove Saddam Hussein from power was a difficult decision - and it was the right decision.
"America and the world are safer today without Saddam Hussein in power.
'Iraq is now free'
"He is no longer oppressing the Iraqi people, sponsoring terror, and threatening the world.
"He is now being tried for his crimes, and over 25 million Iraqis now live in freedom."
Bush did not mention the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The weapons were the core of his public case for war.
On the war itself, Bush said: "It may seem difficult at times to understand how we can say that progress is being made.
"Our ambassador to Iraq, Zal Khalilzad, reports that the violence has created a new sense of urgency among these leaders to form a national unity government as quickly as possible.
"The reaction to the recent violence by Iraq's leaders is a clear sign of Iraq's commitment to democracy.
"I urge them to continue their work to put aside their differences, to reach out across political, religious, and sectarian lines, and to form a government that can confront the terrorist threat and earn the trust and confidence of all Iraqis."
- AFP
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