US/UK Declaration on Iraq
Declaration on Iraq by
President George
W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair
For the
first time in
decades, the Iraqi people are enjoying the taste of freedom. Iraqis are
starting to rebuild their country and can look to a brighter future.
They
are free of Saddam Hussein and his vicious regime; they can speak
freely;
practice their religion; and start to come to terms with the nightmare
of the last 35 years, in which hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were
murdered
by their own government.
But Iraq is
still threatened
by followers of the former regime, and by outside terrorists who are
helping
them. The struggle is difficult. Yet we shall persevere to ensure that
the people of Iraq will prevail, with the support of the new and
strengthening
Iraqi security forces: the police, the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, the
Facility
Protection Service, the border police, and the New Iraqi Army. We
salute
the courage of those Iraqis and the coalition forces engaged in the
struggle
against reactionary elements in Iraq who want to turn back the clock to
the dark days of Saddam's regime.
We reaffirm
the resolve
of our two countries, with many friends and allies, to complete the
process
of bringing freedom, security, and peace to Iraq.
We warmly
welcome the
Iraqi Governing Council's announcement of a timetable for the creation
of a sovereign Iraqi Transitional Administration by the end of June
2004,
and for a process leading to the adoption of a permanent constitution
and
national elections for a new Iraqi government by the end of 2005.
This
announcement is consistent
with our long-stated aim of handing over power to Iraqis as quickly as
possible. It is right that Iraqis are making these decisions and for
the
first time in generations determining their own future. We welcome the
Governing Council's commitment to ensuring the widest possible
participation
in the Transitional Assembly and constitutional process.
We reaffirm
our long-term
commitment to Iraq. The United States and United Kingdom stand ready to
support the Transitional Administration in its task of building a new
Iraq
and its democratic institutions. Our military participation in the
multinational
force in Iraq will serve the Iraqi people until the Iraqis themselves
are
able to discharge full responsibility for their own security. At the
same
time, we hope that international partners will increasingly participate
in the multinational force.
Our
long-term political,
moral, and financial commitment to the reconstruction of Iraq was
underlined
at the Madrid Donors Conference last month. Although the Coalition
Provisional
Authority will come to an end once the Transitional Administration is
installed,
the United States and United Kingdom will continue to provide
assistance
as part of the international support effort. In these tasks, we welcome
the involvement of other nations, regardless of earlier differences; of
the United Nations and the International Financial Institutions; and of
the many non-governmental organizations who are able to make an
important
contribution.
Great
challenges remain
in Iraq. But the progress we have made this year has been enormous.
Iraqis
no longer live in fear of their own government, and Iraq's neighbors no
long feel threatened. Our resolve to complete the task we set ourselves
remains undiminished. Our partnership with the Iraqi people is for the
long-term.
Photo
Note 1: President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair
wave
to onlookers during the President's visit to the Blair's home. White
House
Photo by Eric Draper.
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