Related Event:Iraq in Transition

At the US Embassy in Baghdad, Gonzales encouraged American soldiers to continue their efforts in calming down the volatile situation and maintaining the regional peace and stability in Iraq:

"As we approach the Fourth of July weekend I suspect there are some of you that are here that sometimes feel lonely and you sometimes wonder whether you are alone and I'm here to tell you that you are not alone. That the American people are very much with you."

Earlier, Gonzales held private meetings with Iraqi prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari; the interior minister and other US army officials in an effort to show Iraqis the US commitment to their fledgling governments.