"Now that Iraq is liberated, the United Nations should lift economic sanctions on that country," Bush told Boeing defense workers in his first speech to a civilian audience outside of Washington since the war began.

The United States "in the near future" will offer a UN resolution ending the UN-administered "oil-for-food" progra to enable Iraq to sell freely on world markets, according to White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

"Iraq should be able to trade freely, and we need to transition from the oil-for-food program as soon as possible and help restore a normal trading relationship with the global economy," he told reporters.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in late March to allow the resumption of humanitarian aid for Iraq through its oil-for-food program.

An estimated 60 percent of the Iraqi population of 22 million depends on the program for daily supplies.

The arrangement, under which Iraq is allowed to sell oil in order to buy certain basic supplies under UN supervision, had been suspended on March 18 just before the United States launched its war against the Baghdad regime.

Bush stopped here on his way to his ranch outside the flyspeck Texas town of Crawford, where he was to stay through Easter. It was his first trip there since he launched the war to disarm and topple Saddam.

In a speech to workers for Boeing's defense division, which built many of the aircraft used in the military offensive, Bush said victory in Iraq was certain but cautioned that the fighting had not ended.

"Our work is not done, the difficulties have not passed, but the regime of Saddam Hussein has passed into history," he declared, to a roar of approval from the crowd.

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