March 17 (Reuters) - Following are a selection of remarks by U.S. President George W. Bush about the Iraq war since it began in March 2003: "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed." - May 1, 2003, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln under a banner declaring "Mission Accomplished." "I hope there's not an expectation from people that all of a sudden there's going to be zero violence ... It's just not going to be the case." - June 14, 2006, White House Rose Garden. "We will stay the course, we will help this young Iraqi democracy succeed, and victory in Iraq will be a major ideological triumph in the struggle of the 21st century." - Aug. 30, 2006, Salt Lake City. "Stay the course means keep doing what you're doing. My attitude is, don't do what you're doing if it's not working -- change. Stay the course also means don't leave before the job is done. We're going to get the job done in Iraq." - Oct. 11, 2006, White House Rose Garden. "It's my responsibility to provide the American people with a candid assessment on the way forward ... Absolutely, we're winning." - Oct. 25, 2006, White House East Room. "We're not winning, we're not losing." - Dec. 19, 2006, interview with The Washington Post (published on Dec. 20). "The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people -- and it is unacceptable to me ... Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me. - Jan. 10, 2007, White House library. "Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq -- and I ask you to give it a chance to work." - Jan. 23, 2007, State of the Union address to Congress. "The struggle in Iraq may be hard, but this should not be a time for despair." - March 6, 2007, speech to American Legion in Washington.
