The United States and its allies are using decisive force to win the war with Iraq. In an address broadcast worldwide, President George W. Bush said the goal in this conflict is clear: to disarm Iraq, to free its people, and to defend the world from the grave danger of weapons of mass destruction.
"The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder. . . . This will not be a campaign of half measures, and we will accept no outcome but victory." The U.S.-led coalition comes to Iraq with respect for its citizens, for its great civilization, and for its religious faiths. And the coalition will make every effort to spare innocent Iraqi civilians from harm. In the words of President Bush, "Helping Iraqis achieve a united, stable, and free country will require our sustained commitment. . . . We have no ambition in Iraq, except to remove a threat and restore control of that country to its own people."
President Bush made it clear that the U.S.-led coalition comes to this conflict reluctantly, but its purpose and resolve are clear. "The dangers to our country and the world will be overcome," said President Bush. "We will pass through this time of peril and carry on the work of peace. We will defend our freedom. We will bring freedom to others. And we will prevail."
