BRUSSELS, Feb 22 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush unapologetically defended the war in Iraq Tuesday and urged European leaders angered by that decision to help "put that behind us" and work with him.
"We liberated Iraq, and that decision has been made, it's over with, and now it's time to unify for the sake of peace," Bush said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
"I believe that message is a message that people can understand, and they are beginning to see that the strategy is working," he added, pointing to recent successful elections in Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine and the Palestinian territories.
"Freedom is on the march, that's the way I like to put it, and the world is better off for it and I look forward to continue to articulate how we can continue to keep freedom on the march," he said.
Bush stressed the Atlantic alliance's role as a force for democracy saying: "NATO is one of the reasons why Europe is whole and free and at peace. Because democracy defeated hatred and suspicion."
The US president was speaking at the close of a NATO summit here where he sought to draw a line under past differences between the United States and some European allies sparked by the war in Iraq.
"All in all the meeting was very important. I'm really glad I came ... The relationship between the US and Europe is a vital relationship, a necessary relationship, an important relationship, and our relationship within NATO is the cornerstone of that relationship," he said.
02/22/2005 14:52 GMT - AFP