Bush says Iraq is making steady progress toward self-government
White House-AP -- President Bush has used his weekly radio address to try to quell critics who say post-war reconstruction in Iraq is moving too slowly. The president says the transition to self-government "is a complicated process," but steady progress is being made.
He says of the 20 (b) billion dollars he's requested for Iraq's rebuilding, five (b) billion would be spent on helping Iraq deal with its own security. That consists of assembling an army, training public safety and emergency personnel and establishing a fair judicial system.
Bush says -- quote --"Greater security is essential to Iraq's future."
He says a secure Iraq will protect the nation's schools, and the hospitals that are opening, and the roads that are being built.
The president says across Iraq, coalition forces are turning over responsibility to the future leaders of that country.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
|
