The National Strategy for Victory in Iraq is a document by the United States National Security Council

United States National Security Council

The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...

 which articulated the strategy of the United States President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

, in 2003, and provided an update on progress in various challenges and conflicts, notably Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

.

On February 26, 2003, President George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 stated,

"The United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 has no intention of determining the precise form of Iraq's new government. That choice belongs to the Iraqi people. Yet, we will ensure that one brutal dictator

Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...

 is not replaced by another. All Iraqis must have a voice in the new government, and all citizens must have their rights protected.

Rebuilding Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 will require a sustained commitment from many nations, including our own: we will remain in Iraq as long as necessary, and not a day more."

Stages

Short term
Iraq needs to

• progress in fighting terrorists,
• meet political milestones,
• build democratic institutions, and
• foster the growing security forces.

Medium term
Iraq is in the lead

• defeating terrorists,
• providing its own security,
• fostering the constitutional government, and
• beginning economic development.

Longer term
Iraq should strive for being

• peaceful,
• united,
• stable,
• secure,
• integrated into the international community, and
• a full partner in the global War on Terrorism
  War on Terrorism
  The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
  
  .

External links

• "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq: Helping the Iraqi People Defeat the Terrorists and Build an Inclusive Democratic State". Also in PDF.