White House releases statement on deaths of Saddam's sons

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan issued the following statement Tuesday, following the announcement that two of Saddam Hussein's sons were killed in a firefight with U.S. troops in Iraq:

"We were pleased to learn from the Department of Defense of today's action against Uday and Qusay Hussein. Over the period of many years, these two individuals were responsible for countless atrocities committed against the Iraqi people and they can no longer cast a shadow of hate on Iraq. U.S. military forces and our intelligence community, working with an Iraqi citizen, deserve credit for today's successful action. While there is still much work to do in Iraq, the Iraqi people can see progress each day toward a better and more prosperous future for their country."

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