“On April 13, 2004, shortly after the Fallujah cease-fire, President Bush addressed the nation in a prime-time press conference. He began with a brief statement about the situation in Iraq. …’The violence we have seen is a power grab by these extreme and ruthless elements. It’s not a civil war. It’s not a popular uprising. Most of Iraq is relatively stable… One central commitment of [our] mission is the transfer of the sovereignty back to the Iraqi people. We have set a deadline of June 30th. It is important that we meet that deadline… The nation of Iraq is moving toward self-rule, and Iraqis and Americans will see evidence in the months to come. On June 30th, when the flag of a free Iraq is raised, Iraqi officials will assume full responsibility for the ministries of government. On that day, the transitional administrative law, including a bill of rights that is unprecedented in the Arab world, will take full effect.’ ”
– Ricardo S. Sanchez with Donald T. Phillips, Wiser in Battle, Page 372