"Our military forces will leave. Iraq will go forward as a unified, independent and sovereign nation that has regained a respected place in the world," he said in the remarks, which were released by the White House.

The US leader's speech was to be broadcast at 6:00 pm Baghdad time, as part of a joint message from Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, his closest ally in the war against Iraq.

Speaking 22 days after he ordered war to topple and disarm Saddam rule, Bush took pains to assure his audience that the troops will end that regime, help put Iraq on its feet, and then leave the country's fate to its people.

"The nightmare that Saddam Hussein has brought to your nation will soon be over," Bush said. "We will not stop until Saddam's corrupt gang is gone. The government of Iraq, and the future of your country, will soon belong to you."

"The goals of our coalition are clear and limited. We will end a brutal regime, whose aggression and weapons of mass destruction make it a unique threat to the world.

"Coalition forces will help maintain law and order, so that Iraqis can live in security. We will respect your great religious traditions, whose principles of equality and compassion are essential to Iraq's future.

"We will help you build a peaceful and representative government that protects the rights of all citizens," said Bush.

"You deserve better than tyranny and corruption and torture chambers. You deserve to live as free people. And I assure every citizen of Iraq: your nation will soon be free."

Bush and Blair recorded the video messages on Tuesday as they met in Belfast, according to a US administration official who requested anonymity.

"We are taking unprecedented measures to spare the lives of innocent Iraqi citizens, and are beginning to deliver food, water and medicine to those in need," said Bush.

"Our only enemy is Saddam's brutal regime - and that regime is your enemy as well," he said.

In recent days, Bush's stated rationale for launching what some have called the second Gulf War has shifted from stripping Saddam of alleged weapons of mass destruction to liberating Iraqis from his iron-fisted rule.

US-led forces have yet to find any chemical or biological weapons, though leaders here insist they will eventually located such caches. Saddam had denied possessing any banned arms.

SPACE.WIRE