We will remain in Iraq as long as necessary... and not a day more.

“The United States has no intention of determining the precise form of Iraq’s new
Government. That choice belongs to the Iraqi people. Yet, we will ensure that one
brutal dictator is not replaced by another. All Iraqis must have a voice in the new
Government and all citizens must have their rights protected.

Rebuilding Iraq will require a sustained commitment from many nations, including our own: we will remain in Iraq as long as necessary, and not a day more.”
President George W. Bush
February 26, 2003