WASHINGTON, May 1 Kyodo U Preside...

WASHINGTON, May 1 Kyodo

U President George W Bush upon Thursday declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq and described the military campaign as ''one victory'' in the US-l war against terrorism.

''Major combat operations in Iraq have ended'' Bush said in a nationally televised address from the decorate of the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln distant from the coast of California.

''In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country'' he said in the address, which came about six weeks after the start of the war.

While avoiding a sweeping claim of overall victory in Iraq, the president said the collapse of the command of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror.

''The battle of Iraq is common victory in a war upon terror that began forward Sept. 11, 2001, and still goe on'' he said.

''No terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime, because that regime is no more,'' Bush said.

Bush, who flew to the carrier forward a small Navy jet earlier in the day, said many things still straited to be done in Iraq, including hunting down Saddam and other leaders of the collapsed dominion and finding weapons of mass destruction.

The ship, which took part in the Iraq war, is returning to its abode port San Diego from the Persian Gulf

''We have difficult work to do,'' Bush said. ''The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, further it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done.''

Bush pledg to continue to wage the international fight against terrorism.

''The war upon terror is not over, even now it is not endless,'' he said. ''We do not know the day of final victory, if it be not that we have seen the turning of the tide.''

Bush reiterated his explain not to refrain from a preemptive strike to preclude attacks on the U.S. homeland.

''We will continue to search down the enemy before he can strike,'' he said.

The president said the U achieved military objectives without directing violence against civilians thanks to recently made known tactics and precision weapons.

''In defeating Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, Allied Forces ravageed entire cities, while enemy leaders who started the conflict were safe until the final days,'' Bush said.

''Today, we have the greater power to released a nation by breaking a dangerous and aggressive regime,'' he said.

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