From the deckof a moving US aircraft carrier off the California coast,US President George W. Bush is expected to mark the end of majorcombat in Iraq, telling Americans the six-week war had madethem safer and the Iraqi people free.
Bush turns to the reconstruction phase in Iraq in a speech tomorrow morning broadcast from the USSAbraham Lincoln.
In his 15-minute speech, Bush is expected to stop short of a formaldeclaration of victory, as the administration seeks hardevidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and sporadicresistance continues.
"This is a marked and important moment because ... theIraqi people now have freedom. The threat to the United Stateshas been removed," Fleischer said.
Bush's address will not be a formal end to hostilities.Under international law, something that would trigger the release ofIraqi prisoners of war and bar US forces from trying to killdeposed President Saddam Hussein if he is still alive.
But it sets the stage for the US-led operations in Iraq to change focus to the much heralded reconstruction.
"The president will also tell the American people there arestill key objectives to be met in the country and in thebroader war on terrorism," White House communications directorDan Bartlett said on CNN. "We are still searching for and willfind the weapons of mass destruction that Saddam Hussein hid inhis country."
Despite the objections of many nations, Washington launchedthe war on Iraq on March 20 because of its alleged weapons ofmass destruction, but so far it has found none.
Bush, who relishes his role as commander-in-chief, was inhis element.
From the ship, the military personnel launched16,500 sorties against Iraq as well as Afghanistan. Planesflying from the Lincoln dropped 1.2 million pounds of ordnanceon Iraq.
The carrier is heading to San Diego to offload its airwingbefore going on to its home port of Everett, Washington.