Washington: Three years after the war in Iraq began, US President George W Bush said that it was "the right decision" and vowed to overcome bloody violence that has killed some 2,300 US soldiers.
"We will finish the mission. By defeating the terrorists in Iraq, we will bring greater security to our own country," the embattled President said in a radio address.
Recent polls have found his approval ratings at some of their lowest levels ever, with more and more Americans skeptical of his handling of the war and dubious that the invasion to remove Saddam Hussein was worth it.
"The decision by the US and our Coalition partners to remove Saddam Hussein from power was a difficult decision -- and it was the right decision," Bush countered.
"America and the world are safer today without Saddam Hussein in power. He is no longer oppressing the Iraqi people, sponsoring terror, and threatening the world. He is now being tried for his crimes, and over 25 million Iraqis now live in freedom," he said.
The president did not mention the controversy over the failure to find the weapons of mass destruction at the core of his public case for war.
But he said that, in the face of deadly clashes in Iraq, "it may seem difficult at times to understand how we can say that progress is being made" as he tried to put the best face on a wave of bloody sectarian violence.
"Our Ambassador to Iraq, Zal Khalilzad, reports that the violence has created a new sense of urgency among these leaders to form a national unity government as quickly as possible," said Bush.
"The reaction to the recent violence by Iraq's leaders is a clear sign of Iraq's commitment to democracy," he said.
"I urge them to continue their work to put aside their differences, to reach out across political, religious, and sectarian lines, and to form a government that can confront the terrorist threat and earn the trust and confidence of all Iraqis," said Bush.
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