President George W. Bush when discussing the importance of Iraqi freedom: “Iraq is in the middle of a part of the region that has produced terror and terrorists. And, therefore, a free Iraq is an integral part of winning the war on terror, because a free Iraq is going to be one that will help — will have an amazingly positive effect on its neighborhood. A free Iraq will no longer be a threat to the United States and our friends and allies. And so what you’re seeing now is a continuation on the battle for Iraq, it’s just a different kind of battle. The first wave of military operations was to get rid of — the first major goal of military operations was to get rid of Saddam Hussein and his regime, and we have done that. And now it is to make the country secure enough for democracy to flourish. And it’s a different kind of combat mission, but, nevertheless, it’s combat, just ask the kids that are over there killing and being shot at.”
– Transcript, “President’s Interview with Armed Forces Radio and Television Service,” George W. Bush – White House Archives online, Accessed on 7/27/2016