President calls for all Iraqis to reject
violence, build a new Iraq
Dec.
15, 2003
Photos below, courtesy of AP/Wide
World Photos and IIP/T/EM's PHOTOFILE
With the capture of Saddam Hussein, "a
dark and painful era is over" for Iraq, President Bush
said in a televised address December 14.
Speaking from the White House following the December 13
capture of Iraq's former leader, Bush said: "A hopeful
day has arrived. All Iraqis can now come together and reject
violence and build a new Iraq."
Bush warned that the capture of Saddam Hussein does not
mean the end of violence in Iraq. "We still face terrorists
who would rather go on killing the innocent than accept
the rise of liberty in the heart of the Middle East,"
the president said. "Such men are a direct threat to
the American people, and they will be defeated."
Bush vowed that the United States would not relent in the
war against terrorism until it is won.
The Cabinet Room; 12:15 P.M.
EST
Following is the White House transcript of Bush's remarks:
Good afternoon. Yesterday, December the 13th, at around
8:30 p.m. Baghdad time, United States military forces captured
Saddam Hussein alive. He was found near a farmhouse outside
the city of Tikrit, in a swift raid conducted without casualties.
And now the former dictator of Iraq will face the justice
he denied to millions.
The capture of this man was
crucial to the rise of a free Iraq. It marks the end of
the road for him, and for all who bullied and killed in
his name. For the Baathist holdouts largely responsible
for the current violence, there will be no return to the
corrupt power and privilege they once held. For the vast
majority of Iraqi citizens who wish to live as free men
and women, this event brings further assurance that the
torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever.
And this afternoon, I have
a message for the Iraqi people: You will not have to fear
the rule of Saddam Hussein ever again. All Iraqis who take
the side of freedom have taken the winning side. The goals
of our coalition are the same as your goals -- sovereignty
for your country, dignity for your great culture, and for
every Iraqi citizen, the opportunity for a better life.
In the history of Iraq, a
dark and painful era is over. A hopeful day has arrived.
All Iraqis can now come together and reject violence and
build a new Iraq.
The success of yesterday's
mission is a tribute to our men and women now serving in
Iraq. The operation was based on the superb work of intelligence
analysts who found the dictator's footprints in a vast country.
The operation was carried out with skill and precision by
a brave fighting force. Our servicemen and women and our
coalition allies have faced many dangers in the hunt for
members of the fallen regime, and in their effort to bring
hope and freedom to the Iraqi people. Their work continues,
and so do the risks. Today, on behalf of the nation, I thank
the members of our Armed Forces and I congratulate them.
I also have a message for all Americans: The capture of
Saddam Hussein does not mean the end of violence in Iraq.
We still face terrorists who would rather go on killing
the innocent than accept the rise of liberty in the heart
of the Middle East. Such men are a direct threat to the
American people, and they will be defeated.
We've come to this moment
through patience and resolve and focused action. And that
is our strategy moving forward. The war on terror is a different
kind of war, waged capture by capture, cell by cell, and
victory by victory. Our security is assured by our perseverance
and by our sure belief in the success of liberty. And the
United States of America will not relent until this war
is won.
May God bless the people
of Iraq, and may God bless America. Thank you.
President Bush gives his
address from the White House.
Saddam's hiding place
Iraqi women celebrate in the streets
of Dearborn, Mich., after hearing of Saddam's capture.
