Excerpts from the president's address

Excerpts from President Bush's prime-time address Monday night:

All the decades of deceit and cruelty have now reached an end. Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict commenced at a time of our choosing.

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The United States and other nations did nothing to deserve or invite this threat, but we will do everything to defeat it. Instead of drifting along toward tragedy, we will set a course toward safety.

Before the day of horror can come, before it is too late to act, this danger will be removed.

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Americans understand the costs of conflict because we have paid them in the past. War has no certainty except the certainty of sacrifice.

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Today, no nation can possibly claim that Iraq has disarmed. And it will not disarm so long as Saddam Hussein holds power.

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The United Nations Security Council has not lived up to its responsibilities, so we will rise to ours.

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I urge every member of the Iraqi military and intelligence services: If war comes, do not fight for a dying regime that is not worth your own life.

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War crimes will be prosecuted, war criminals will be punished and it will be no defense to say, "I was just following orders."

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Should enemies strike our country, they would be attempting to shift our attention with panic and weaken our morale with fear. In this, they would fail.