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America has succeeded in Iraq, says Mark Steyn, but the war on terror can still be lost at home New Hampshire ‘Let freedom reign!’ scribbled President Bush in the corner of the briefest of hand-written notes from his national security adviser: ‘Mr President, ‘Iraq is sovereign. Letter was passed from Bremer at 10.26 a.m. Iraq time — Condi.’ And that was it. No ostrich feathers, no Princess Alexandra, no tea on the lawn at Government House. After 15 months of running Iraq, the Americans are out. Sure, they’ve got a lot of troops there, but they’ve got a lot...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- One of the most poignant moments to occur in the U.S.-led global War on Terror occurred when National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice passed a note to President George W. Bush during the recent NATO conference in Turkey. Her message informed him that Iraq was once again a sovereign nation. He smiled and instinctively wrote, "Let freedom reign," and passed it back. Those three words say a lot about the man and the country he leads.  Two hundred and twenty eight years ago this week, a committee of five patriots, headed by a farmer from Virginia, prepared the...

[snip]"Mr. President, Iraq is sovereign. Letter was passed from [U.S.-led Coalition chief L. Paul] Bremer at 10:26 a.m. Iraq time. — Condi," Rice's note read. Bush yanked out a black pen and wrote back, "Let freedom reign!" —and then cupped his hand around his mouth to share the good news with Blair, his closest ally and the leader who, like Bush, risked his political future on Iraq. Bush also made it clear he'll support Iraq's new leaders if they take tough measures to crack down on terrorists like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, blamed for a spate of bombs and gruesome beheadings....

The President continued his visit in Ireland on Saturday with an EU summit. Saturday night, the First Couple flew to Ankara, Turkey, where they were received by the heads of state and Church. Sunday, June 27th, the President reviewed the Turkey troops, laid a wreath at the mausoleum of Turkey's founder Kemal Ataturk in Ankara. He attended a formal photo shoot of the NATO Summit attendees, and then a welcoming dinner at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. The NATO meetings will be held on Monday and Tuesday. In a surprise sequence of events, L. Paul Bremer signed over full...

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice Monday informed President Bush in a handwritten note of the transfer of authority in Baghdad, prompting Bush to scribble back: "Let freedom reign." "Mr. President, Iraq is sovereign. Letter was passed from (U.S. administrator Paul) Bremer at 10:26 a.m. Iraq time -- Condi," she wrote, according to copies of the note distributed by the White House. The note exchange took place during a meeting of NATO leaders in Istanbul. She handed the note to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who passed it along to Bush.

A note from United States National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to President George W. Bush confirming the formal handover of power in Iraq on June 28, 2004 as seen in this White House Photo.The note was passed to President Bush during a NATO summit in Istanbul and reads, 'Mr. President, Iraq is sovereign. Letter was passed from US Administrator Paul Bremer at 10:26 AM Iraqi time-Condi.' Prompting Bush to scribble back: 'Let Freedom Reign.'