Sun Apr 23, 6:41 PM ET
President George W. Bush said he had told Iraq's new leaders they had a responsibility to unite the country and that the new government was an important US milestone.
Bush said during a visit to a US Marine base here that he had spoken to prime minister designate Jawad al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani and the new parliament speaker Mahmud Mashhadani by telephone on Sunday.
"I told them they have awesome responsibilities to their people," Bush said.
"They have the responsibility of improving the lives of men and women regardless of their beliefs.
"They have a responsibility to defeat the terrorists. They have a responsibility to unite their country and I believe they will."
Speaking to Marines, Bush called the formation of the new government "an important milestone toward our victory in Iraq" and "a major blow to the terrorists who want to do us harm".
He said the three Iraqi leaders told him "they understand the sacrifices that (US troops) are making on their behalf and they are grateful for those sacrifices."
"Democracy in Iraq will set a powerful example for people and for the world who are desperate for freedom."
"The only way we can lose in Iraq is if we lose our nerve," Bush said. And I'm not losing my nerve."
US officials pressed Iraqi politicians to set aside their differences and form a government, which they had not done for four months after elections.