FORT STEWART, Ga., 13 September 2003 — President Bush saluted the Army’s 3rd Infantry that stormed Baghdad and ousted Saddam Hussein’s regime, telling the troops yesterday: “You made history. You made our nation proud.”

Members of the 3rd Infantry, which suffered more casualties than any other American military division Iraq, stood at attention in desert fatigues and black berets as Bush strode onto a stage at Fort Stewart. There, an estimated 15,000 troops, families and area citizens burst into cheers. The troops repeatedly yelled “hoo-ah,” a universal Army response, in approval of Bush’s message.

The president said his administration has three current missions in Iraq — to eradicate terrorists, urge other nations to help stabilize the war-torn nation and oversee an orderly transfer of power to the Iraqi people.

“Every man, woman and child in Iraq can be certain of this: The old regime is gone and the regime is never coming back,” Bush said.

As he spoke, military commanders in Iraq were sorting out details of the deadliest friendly fire incident since the end of major fighting. US soldiers mistakenly opened fire on a group of Iraqi policemen chasing bandits yesterday, killing eight Iraqis and wounding seven others, witnesses said.

The president presented the Presidential Unit Citation — the highest award given to a military unit for exceptional valor — to the division that sent 16,500 troops to the Arabian Gulf.

More than 40 soldiers from the 3rd Infantry and affiliated units at Fort Stewart have died in the war. Members of the division served between six and 11 months in Iraq. The last of its troops returned home earlier this month.

Bush presented the citation to Capt. Vern Tubbs, who wrote the president a letter from Iraq saying he saw firsthand the Iraqis people’s desire for liberty.

The president’s speech countered criticism from Democrats, who say the administration underestimated the task of securing Iraq after major military operations ceased.

On his Air Force One flight to Georgia, Bush called the prime minister of Sweden to express America’s condolences for the violent stabbing death of foreign minister Anna Lindh. He also talked with President Nestor Kirchner of Argentina to congratulate him on Argentina reaching agreement with the International Monetary Fund on the outlines of a $21 billion debt refinancing package.