For Immediate Release
March 5, 2004

Global Message

From remarks by Ambassador Bremer, Baghdad, 3/3/04

On Monday, the Iraqi Governing Council reached an agreement on the Transitional Administrative Law -- demonstrating what can happen when a broad range of Iraqis work, talk and reason together on a path to a democratic Iraq.

On Tuesday, terrorist attacks were carried out in an attempt to incite sectarian violence among Muslims. The attacks revealed the dark vision of terrorists who fight harmony. Monday and Tuesday provided a stark contrast between hopeful Iraqis and others determined to undermine a democratic future.

The Coalition and United States are committed to helping Iraq win this war against terrorism. We offer our complete support to the Iraqi people and their security forces.

It is increasingly apparent that a large part of this terrorism comes from outside Iraq.

We know from the intercepted letter written by the terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi that he wants to provoke sectarian violence to stop democracy.

Zarqawi wrote that democracy was coming to Iraq and that once Iraq was democratic there would be no pretext for attacks.

Zarqawi and like-minded terrorists are in a losing race against time.

The terrorists will lose because they have not blocked the Iraqi people's desire for democracy.

The terrorists will lose because they have underestimated the Coalition's willingness to support the Iraqi people.