Home > News & Policies > May 2003

For Immediate Release
May 2, 2003

Global Message

Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. Our coalition is now engaged in securing and reconstructing that country. The United States and our allies have prevailed, and because of this our nation and the Middle East are more secure, a tyrant has fallen and Iraq is now free.

The credit for our military's success goes to the men and women who went in harm's way. The gratitude of our nation goes to:

• The men and women of our military, particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country
• The commanders - especially Secretary Rumsfeld and General Tommy Franks
• Our coalition partners - particularly the Armed Forces of the UK, Australia, and Poland.

Our 21st Century military carried out Operation Iraqi Freedom with a combination of speed, precision and boldness the enemy did not expect, and the world had not seen. With new tactics and precision weapons, coalition forces demonstrated that we can achieve military objectives while directing violence away from civilians.

Difficult work lies ahead in Iraq:

• Bringing order and security to parts that remain dangerous
• Bringing to justice the leaders of and those who are loyal to the old regime
• Locating hidden chemical and biological weapons
• Rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure after 30 years of devastation
• Standing by the Iraqi people as they establish a government of, by and for the Iraqi people

The Battle of Iraq is one victory in the broader war on terror that began on September 11th, 2001, and still goes on. The President detailed progress made in the war on terror and reaffirmed America's commitment to defending our homeland and hunting down terrorists before they can strike.

America has a tradition of spreading liberty throughout the world. Our country is committed to freedom in Afghanistan, in Iraq, and in a peaceful Palestine. We make this commitment because the advance of freedom is the surest strategy to undermine the appeal of terror in the world.