The frequent references to freedom and liberty in George W. Bush's second inaugural were directly linked to US involvement in the Iraqi War, which began in 2003, as a direct response to the 9/11 bombings. Bush stressed the importance of self-determination and liberation from tyranny as the major rationale for the war in its post-invasion phase. It also served to justify and provide an explanation for the war consistent with U.S. principles and ideas about the right of self-determination for all people.