President George W. Bush says that he has confidence in the future of Iraq:
"Because I believe the people of Iraq want to live in a free society. And although there've been some very difficult times for the Iraqi people, I am impressed by the courage of the leadership, impressed by the determination of the people, and want to assure you, sir, that the United States stands ready to help the Iraqi democracy succeed."
In earlier remarks, Mr. Bush said that the formation of Iraq's new government "marks a victory for the cause of freedom in the Middle East" and "a defeat for the terrorists, who fought the arrival of a free and democratic Iraq with all the hateful power they could muster":
"Now, a day that they feared has arrived. The terrorists can kill the innocent, but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. We can expect the terrorists to continue bombing and killing, but something fundamental has changed. The terrorists are now fighting a free and constitutional government."
President Bush says that Iraq is a central battleground in the global war on terror. And that war, he says, is "an ideological struggle between tyranny and freedom":
"We've seen setbacks and challenges. . .Yet we've also seen days of victory and hope. . .In the past four years alone, more than one hundred ten million human beings across the world have joined the ranks of the free – and this is only the beginning. The message has spread from Damascus to Tehran that the future belongs to freedom – and we will not rest until the promise of liberty reaches every people and every nation."
"We are pursuing a forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East," says Mr. Bush. "And by standing with democratic reformers across a troubled region, we will extend freedom to millions who have not known it – and lay the foundation of peace for generations to come."
The preceding was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government.