We are a country that has many friends, many allies, when we operate in the world, we operate with friends and allies that's been true for decades and if we wind up going to war in Iraq it will be true in Iraq.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
In liberating Iraq, we have rid the nation and the rest of the world from the danger of Saddam Hussein.
It's true that the war in Iraq opened a distance in relations between part of Europe and the U.S. government, but our basic ties are stronger than that. We share democracy, free markets and a commitment to Western security. We differ on how to guarantee that security.
Iraq can emerge as a beacon of hope and democracy in the Middle East, and the world, with our help.
If we hold true to our ideals and our commitment to freedom, this generation of servicemen and women will have extended liberty to the Iraqi people, just as previous generations of Americans have all across the globe.
Iraq is a country I came to know well and the place where I spent some of the most consequential years of my life.
We invaded Iraq to change a totalitarian, despotic regime, and we have been successful there.
As much as we might look for opportunities to keep Iraq together, we need to be prepared for the reality that it's not going to stay together.
We've persevered because of a belief we share with the Iraqi people - a belief that out of the ashes of war, a new beginning could be born in this cradle of civilization. Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it's time to turn the page.
Iraq is just a symbol of the attitude of western democracies to the rest of the world.
I have never believed you go to war in Iraq, you go to war in Afghanistan, and believe that you can deal with those battlefields, those countries, in microcosms, or narrow channels.