Status anxiety definitely exists at a political level. Many Iraqis were annoyed with the US essentially for reasons of status: for not showing them respect for humiliating them.

Almost all Iraqis with any previous experience in the intelligence business are Sunni Arab increasing the risk of penetration of the new intelligence apparatus by the insurgency.

I sent American troops to Iraq to make its people free not to make them American. Iraqis will write their own history and find their own way.

We need to give the Iraqis a chance to build their own future. It should be in their hands. It must be in their hands. That is what democracy is all about. We can teach it we can explain it but they must want it enough to make it work for them.

As I've said there were patriots who supported this war and patriots who opposed it. And all of us are united in appreciation for our servicemen and women and our hopes for Iraqis' future.

We were told this war would be over in a matter of weeks and that the Iraqis would be able to finance it with oil sales. We were promised it was not a mission of nation building.

It is hard as an American to support the failure of American military operations in Iraq. Such failure will bring with it the death and wounding of many American service members and many more Iraqis.

Just two weeks ago millions of Iraqis defied the threats of terrorists and went to the polls to determine their own future. I congratulate the Iraqi people for the courage they've shown in making these elections so successful.

I am so sick of reading about another car bomb another suicide bomber another 10 20 30 70 100 people dead in a day both Americans and Iraqis.