President Bush on Monday warned there will be "tough days ahead" in Iraq. Appearing in the White House Rose Garden with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who have returned from a brief trip to Baghdad, the president said a unity government established last week in Iraq "is more determined than ever to succeed."
"That's really important for the American people to know, that we've got partners in this effort who are dedicated to a unified Iraq and dedicated to putting a government together that is one that will represent all the Iraqi people," the American leader said, according to the AP.
Exactly three years ago Bush declared that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended" and that "the United States and our allies have prevailed."
Bush Monday expressed optimism that the new Iraqi government will be moving the nation toward its own security. "We believe this is a turning point for the Iraqi citizens and it's a new chapter in our partnership," he stated. "This new government is going to represent a new start for the Iraqi people. It's a government that understands they've got serious challenges ahead of them."
