01 July 2003
U.S. to Stay in Iraq Until Freedom Established, Bush Says
(Says those who threaten order and stability will be defeated) (940) By Wendy S. Ross Washington File White House Correspondent Washington -- U.S. forces will remain in Iraq until the elements of terror are destroyed and a functioning democratic government is fully established there, the Bush administration said July 1, in response to questions about continued loss of American life. "(T)here will be no return to tyranny in Iraq," President Bush said in remarks at a White House event on the 30th anniversary of the all-volunteer U.S. military. "And those who threaten the order and stability of Iraq will face ruin just as surely as the regime they once served," Bush said. He attributed continued violence in Iraq to loyalists of the ousted Saddam Hussein regime, and to the Ansar al-Islam group, which he said operated in Iraq before the war and is now active in the Sunni heartland of the country. In addition, remnants of a group tied to al Qaeda associate Abu Musab al-Zarqawi are suspected to be in Iraq still, Bush said, "waiting for an opportunity to strike" and "we're also beginning to see foreign fighters enter Iraq." Bush said "these scattered groups of terrorists, extremists and Saddam loyalists are especially active to the north and west of Baghdad, where they have destroyed electricity lines and towers, set off explosions at gas pipelines and ignited sulfur fires. They have attacked coalition forces and they're trying to intimidate Iraqi citizens." "These groups believe they have found an opportunity to harm America, to shake our resolve in the war on terror, and to cause us to leave Iraq before freedom is fully established. They are wrong, and they will not succeed," he said. "As commander in chief, I assure them we will stand on the offensive against the enemy," Bush said. "And all who attack our troops will be met with direct and decisive force." "The rise of Iraq as an example of moderation and democracy and prosperity is a massive and long-term undertaking," Bush said, but one that is "critical to the defeat of terror and radicalism throughout the Middle East." Ambassador Paul Bremer, President Bush's personal envoy to Iraq, told reporters at a briefing in Baghdad that conditions are improving in that country and those "who have no desire or ability to fit into this new, free Iraq, not surprisingly, are becoming more and more desperate. "And as they continue to attack not only coalition forces, but the infrastructure which serves the Iraqi people and even Iraqis themselves, their desperation is apparent. And they are increasingly alienating the rest of the population, which is beginning to enjoy their new-found freedoms, which is why more and more Iraqis are coming forward to coalition forces and to the new Iraqi police with information on who is behind these attacks, and that is another reason our raids are increasingly successful." Bremer said "the coalition will succeed in its goal to establish real freedom and democracy in Iraq; make no mistake about it. We will succeed. And until these individuals realize that, they will remain in our sights. Meanwhile, we're going to continue our work on our strategic priorities: law and order, economic reform and political progress." White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said "the overwhelming majority" of the Iraqi people are "pleased with the fact that the United States has helped them to get rid of the Saddam Hussein regime. That was clear from their dancing in the streets and the way they tore down the statues." He said the elements still loyal to Saddam Hussein in attacking the U.S. military, are really attacking the people of Iraq, "because the United States is helping the people of Iraq to find peace and stability, and these groups stand in the way, just as they did when they ruled Iraq." President Bush "views this as a matter in which he, as the commander in chief, authorized putting America's men and women of the military into harm's way. He did it knowingly. He did it because he believes in the cause of protecting world peace and the American people from the threat that Saddam Hussein's regime presented. That mission of toppling the regime has been accomplished. "As the president warned the American people, there still is danger ahead in Iraq. And that's what we're seeing. But this president is dedicated to this mission because he knows it serves the interests of the American people in bringing peace and stability to Iraq. After all, what's the alternative? To let the thugs who ran Iraq before take it over again? No." Fleischer said a recent poll of the Iraqi people revealed that "the overwhelming majority of the Iraqi people expressed their gratitude for having the Americans there, and they said they want the Americans to stay there to provide security." The United States, he added, "does not have any intention of staying in Iraq forever, but the president has said that we will stay as long as is necessary to get the job done and done well and done right, and not a day longer. And that's what you're seeing." The American people, Fleischer said, "have a very good center of gravity about the situation in Iraq. Clearly, as lives are lost, the American people reflect on the lives lost. So, too, does the president. But the American people remain firm and understand the importance of finishing the mission and making certain that Iraq does not slide back into the hands of Saddam loyalists." (The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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