10:36
A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for this opportunity to
visit with your cabinet. I have expressed our country's desire to work
with you, but I appreciate you recognizing the fact that the future of
this country is in your hands. The decisions you and your cabinet make
will be determinate as to whether or not a country succeeds that can
govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself. I'm impressed by the
cabinet that you've assembled. You've assembled people from all parts of
your country, representing the different religions and the different
histories and traditions.
And yet the cabinet here represents the entire Iraqi people, and I
appreciate your commitment to representing the people of Iraq. I'm
impressed by the strength of your character and your desire to succeed.
And I'm impressed by your strategy. We've discussed -- I discussed
earlier with the Prime Minister and here with his cabinet and with
members of my Cabinet the strategy necessary to have a country that is
capable of answering to the needs of the people.
We discussed the security strategy. We discussed an economic
strategy, a reconstruction strategy. And all of it makes sense to me.
And so I've come to not only look you in the eye, I've also come to tell
you that when America gives its word, it will keep its word; that it's
in our interests that Iraq succeed. It's not only in the interests of
the Iraqi people, it's in the interests of the American people and for
people who love freedom.
Iraq is a part of the war on terror. Iraq is a central front on that
war, and when Iraq succeeds in having a government of and by and for the
people of Iraq, you will have dealt a serious blow to those who have a
vision of darkness, who don't believe in liberty, who are willing to
kill the innocent in order to achieve a political objective.
And so, Mr. Prime minister, I want to thank you for giving me and my
Cabinet a chance to hear from you personally and a chance to meet the
members of this team you've assembled. It's an impressive group of men
and women, and if given the right help, I'm convinced you will succeed,
and so will the world.
END 10:39 A.M. EDT