For Immediate Release
September 10, 2003

Global Message

From National Security Adviser Rice's remarks at the Foreign Press Center, Washington DC, 9/9/03

President Bush has made very clear from the beginning: The decision to go to Iraq rested on the fact that Iraq was a threat to the interests of the region, to the interests of the United States, and to the security of the world.

President Bush also made it clear from the start that it would be difficult after the military victory to secure the peace in a place that had been through almost 30 years of tyranny.

In the short term, the goal is to improve the security situation. That is being done through the use of American and coalition forces.

Another goal is to increase the number of Iraqis involved in their own security. We are accelerating the building of the army and the building of police forces. There are already some 60,000 Iraqis who are involved in the security of their own country, and the number will increase.

We are also dealing with foreign terrorists who appear to be coming into the country. We are working to increase border security, to protect the infrastructure, to make certain that we are responding to these threats.

Iraq's Governing Council is developing a political timetable to be shared with the United Nations. The UN resolution that the United States would like to put forward would have this timetable from the Iraqi people for the establishment of a sovereign country.

We are also accelerating and deepening our efforts to increase the number of international partners. There are nearly 30 countries on the ground in Iraq with the United States. We believe that a new United Nations resolution could provide an opportunity for more countries and international financial institutions to be involved.