Bush Lauds Transfer in Iraq

Army, Aug 2004

Bush Lauds Transfer in Iraq. On June 28, President George W. Bush praised the early transfer of Iraqi sovereignty during a NATO summit meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. In comments announcing the event, he said, "After decades of brutal rule by a terror regime, the Iraqi people have their country back." British Prime Minister Tony Blair also spoke at the press conference.

Bush stressed his administration's pledge to end Saddam Hussein's regime, to free the Iraqis and to restore the country's sovereignty. "We have kept our word," he said.

The President claimed that the U.S. military will stay as long as the situation requires, and only as long as needed and requested by the Iraqi government. he concluded his statement saying that "America's men and women in uniform have been unrelenting in the performance of their duty. ... We asked a lot of our military, and there's still much hard work ahead. We're grateful for the sacrifice of all who have served. We honor the memory of all who have died. The courage of our military has brought us to this hopeful day, and the continued service of our military assures the success of our cause."