In a statement issued by the White House and published in The New York Times, Bush said Saddam had received a fair trial -- something he had denied Iraqis when he was in power.

"Fair trials were unimaginable under Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule," said Bush. "It is a testament to the Iraqi people's resolve to move forward after decades of oppression that, despite his terrible crimes against his own people, Saddam Hussein received a fair trial."

Bush said the execution comes at the end of a difficult year for the Iraqi people and for U.S. troops.

"Bringing Saddam Hussein to justice will not end the violence in Iraq," the president said, "but it is an important milestone on Iraq's course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain, and defend itself, and be an ally in the war on terror."

Bush said the trial and execution of Saddam was made possible by "the continued service and sacrifice" of U.S. forces in Iraq.

"Many difficult choices and further sacrifices lie ahead," he said.