President Bush has praised the U.N. Security Council vote to lift sanctions on Iraq.
President Bush says the Security Council action will help the Iraqi people to rebuild their country and work toward a more prosperous and secure future.
In a written statement, Mr. Bush speaks of nations coming together on Iraq, a reference perhaps to the intense divisions that so marked the pre-war debate in the Security Council.
Before the vote, the president spoke of a "changed atmosphere" at the U.N. regarding Iraq. France, Russia, and Germany, all opponents of the war were among the countries voting to lift sanctions.
The resolution that passed the council gives the United States and Britain broad powers to run Iraq until an internationally-recognized Iraqi government is in place. Mr. Bush said it also reaffirms that the U.N. will have what he called "an appropriate vital role" in Iraq's reconstruction and transition to a new government.