For Immediate Release
June 8, 2004

Global Message

From a press briefing by NSA Rice, Savannah, GA, 6/7/04

As President Bush outlined in his five-point plan for Iraq, a free and self-governing Iraq will deny terrorists a base of operation and discredit their ideology. It will make the international community safer and more secure, and become a linchpin for freedom and reform in the region.

Just a little more than a year ago, Iraq was governed by an evil dictator. Today, the Iraqi people have been liberated, and together with their new interim government, Iraqis are taking their first steps toward freedom.

It is enormously important that the Iraqis are in a position to speak for themselves and have a government that is now several weeks from regaining sovereignty and full responsibility for Iraqi affairs.

Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi has been particularly concerned to tell Iraqis that it is important to unite to stop the violence of -- a lot of which is Iraqi against Iraqi -- because the insurgents and the terrorists who want to stop progress are going to try to intensify their efforts as Iraq moves toward sovereignty.

The Iraqis will be able to urge passage of a UN Security Council resolution. They have had input into the process and have made clear their views. It is obviously a very good thing that the Iraqis can speak for themselves.