US President George W. Bush said Sunday that the formation of Iraq's new government will serve as a "devastating defeat" for Al-Qaeda and other terrorists seeking to create unrest in the region.
"I fully understand that a free Iraq will be an important ally on the war on terror, will serve as a devastating defeat for the terrorists and Al-Qaeda and will serve as an example for others in the regions who desire to be free," Bush told reporters at the White House.
Bush spoke following the formation of Iraq's new government in Baghdad on Saturday.
The US president said he had spoken by telephone with Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, the country's new prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, and the speaker, Mahmud Mashhadani, to congratulate them on forming a new "unity government".
"I assured them that the United States will continue to assist the Iraqis in the formation of a free country," Bush said of his telephone conversations with Iraq's leaders.
"The formation of the unity government in iraq is ... begins a new chapter in our relationship with Iraq," Bush said.