Bush defends war, sees U.S. "victory" in Iraq

"Five years ago tonight, I promised the American people that in the struggle ahead 'we will accept no outcome but victory,'" the president said. "Today, standing before men and women who helped liberate a nation, I reaffirm the commitment."

Noting the anniversary, which comes in the same week in which the Pentagon expects the U.S. casualty numbers to reach the 4,000 milestone, Bush said: "Five years into this battle, there is an understandable debate over whether the war was worth fighting, whether the fight is worth winning, and whether we can win it." But, he said "the answers are clear to me: Removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision -- and this is a fight America can and must win."

The president said the U.S. actions had "removed a tyrant, liberated a country, and rescued millions from unspeakable horrors."

In his speech delivered at the Pentagon, President Bush described Operation Iraqi Freedom as "a remarkable display of military effectiveness" that "added new chapters to the story of American military heroism."

He also took the opportunity to defend the post-invasion as a necessary act to ensure a democratic Iraq. "Because we acted, Saddam Hussein no longer fills fields with the remains of innocent men, women and children. Because we acted, Saddam's torture chambers and rape rooms and children's prisons have been closed for good. Because we acted, Saddam's regime is no longer invading its neighbors or attacking them with chemical weapons and ballistic missiles," he said.

Bush also left no doubt that he planned to continue the war in Iraq. "The battle in Iraq has been longer and harder and more costly than we anticipated -- but it is a fight we must win," he said. 

Responding to early critics of the "surge" in U.S. troops, Bush argued that the surge had worked. "A little over a year ago, the fight in Iraq was faltering. Extremist elements were succeeding in their efforts to plunge Iraq into chaos. They had established safe havens in many parts of the country," he said.

Bush said his Administration reviewed its strategy and changed course in Iraq by implementing the surge, which he said was working. "Together, these Americans and Iraqi forces have driven the terrorists from many of the sanctuaries they once held," he said, adding that "the level of violence is significantly down, civilian deaths are down, sectarian killings are down [and] attacks on American forces are down" since the surge began.