For Immediate Release
October 20, 2003

Global Message

The United States achieved a significant victory at the UN Security Council with a unanimous 15-0 vote on a resolution supporting our efforts to help Iraqis build a peaceful and free Iraq.

This is an important step toward achieving one of President Bush's three major goals in Iraq -- expanding international participation to help Iraqis stabilize and rebuild their nation.

Both the House and Senate passed legislation to enact the President's wartime supplemental budget request that directly supports the work of our troops in the war on terror.

Both bills will provide resources needed to make Iraq more secure and to support Iraq's transition to self-government. The President has urged the House and Senate to work quickly to resolve differences between the two bills.

More than 30 countries are working with the United States to stabilize Iraq and enable the Iraqi people to achieve self-governance. And just this week, the Japanese government committed $1.5 billion to Iraqi reconstruction.