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"USA Today"
July 2, 2003

President Bush said Wednesday that American troops under fire in Iraq aren't about to pull out, and he challenged those tempted to attack U.S. forces, "Bring them on."

"We'll stay the course in Iraq," Bush said. "We're not leaving until we accomplish the task, and the task is going to be a free country run by the Iraqi people." He and his aides offered no timetable for the withdrawal of American forces.

More than 65 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since Bush declared on May 1 that major combat had ended. Twenty-six were killed in combat, the rest in accidents.

Bush pledged to find and punish "anybody who wants to harm American troops," and said the attacks would not weaken his resolve to restore peace and order in Iraq.

"There are some who feel like that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is bring them on," Bush said. "We've got the force necessary to deal with the security situation."