    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [December 14, 2003]
    [Pages 1720-1721]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Address to the Nation on the Capture of Saddam Hussein
    December 14, 2003

        Good afternoon. Yesterday, December the 13th, at around 8:30 p.m.,
    Baghdad time, United States military forces captured Saddam Hussein
    alive. He was found near a farmhouse outside the city of Tikrit, in a
    swift raid conducted without casualties, and now the former dictator of
    Iraq will face the justice he denied to millions.
        The capture of this man was crucial to the rise of a free Iraq. It
    marks the end of the road for him and for all who bullied and killed in
    his name. For the Ba'athist holdouts largely responsible for the current
    violence, there will be no return to the corrupt power and privilege
    they once held. For the vast majority of Iraqi citizens who wish to live
    as free men and women, this event brings further assurance that the
    torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever.
        And this afternoon, I have a message for the Iraqi people: You will
    not have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein ever again. All Iraqis who
    take the side of freedom have taken the winning side. The goals of our
    coalition are the same as your goals: Sovereignty for your country;
    dignity for your great culture; and for every Iraqi citizen, the
    opportunity for a better life. In the history of Iraq, a dark and
    painful era is over. A hopeful day has arrived. All Iraqis can now come
    together and reject violence and build a new Iraq.
        The success of yesterday's mission is a tribute to our men and women
    now serving in Iraq. The operation was based on the superb work of
    intelligence analysts who found the dictator's footprints in a vast
    country. The operation was carried out with skill and precision by a
    brave fighting force. Our service men and women and our coalition allies
    have faced many dangers in the hunt for members of the fallen regime and
    in their effort to bring hope and freedom to the Iraqi people. Their
    work continues, and so do the risks. Today, on behalf of the Nation, I
    thank the members of our Armed Forces, and I congratulate them.
        I also have a message for all Americans: The capture of Saddam
    Hussein does not mean the end of violence in Iraq. We still

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    face terrorists who would rather go on killing the innocent than accept
    the rise of liberty in the heart of the Middle East. Such men are a
    direct threat to the American people, and they will be defeated.
        We've come to this moment through patience and resolve and focused
    action, and that is our strategy moving forward. The war on terror is a
    different kind of war, waged capture by capture, cell by cell, and
    victory by victory. Our security is assured by our perseverance and by
    our sure belief in the success of liberty, and the United States of
    America will not relent until this war is won.
        May God bless the people of Iraq, and may God bless America. Thank
    you.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:15 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White
    House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of this address.