We will stay in the fight until we have achieved . . . the victory our brave troops have fought for.

Listen, committing troops ought to be — is — the last option for me. It's the hardest thing a president does....(Tuesday) I gave a speech to the nation about a way forward in Iraq. I'm confident Iraq is going to be a free and democratic nation. Before I did so, I met with 38 families, all of whom had a loved one die in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it's hard to do that. It's hard to know that my decision put these kids in harm's way and they didn't come back to the arms of their loved ones....

They understood that the sacrifices of allied forces would mean nothing unless we used our victory to help the Japanese people transform their nation from tyranny to freedom, ... There were many doubters. American and Japanese experts claimed that the Japanese weren't ready for democracy.

An immediate withdrawal of our troops from Iraq will only strengthen the terrorists' hand in Iraq and in the broader war on terror,

The administration's strategy is aimless, and sadly, it's rudderless. [The vote is] a victory for our troops and the American people.

We are implementing a strategy that will lead to victory in Iraq. And a victory in Iraq will make this country more secure and will help lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.