On a visit to Camp Pendleton to thank military personnel and their families, President Bush said, “Next month, Iraqis will vote in free and democratic elections. As election day approaches, we can expect further violence from the terrorists. You see, the terrorists understand what is at stake. They know they have no future in a free Iraq, because free people never choose their own enslavement. They know democracy will give Iraqis a stake in the future of their country. When Iraqis choose their leaders in free elections, it will destroy the myth that the terrorists are fighting a foreign occupation and make clear that what the terrorists are really fighting is the will of the Iraqi people.”
– George W Bush, “President Thanks Military Personnel and Families For Serving Our Country”, George W Bush – White House Archive, December 7, 2004, Accessed 8-16-16