President Bush to address nation on Iraq

President will speak from the Oval Office on Sunday evening

President Bush will address the nation about Iraq on Sunday evening, his first speech from the Oval Office since he announced the beginning of the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.

The address at 9 p.m. ET comes on the heels of a two-week, four-speech blitz to build support for a war that a majority of Americans now say was a mistake.

The White House said it was asking television networks for live coverage of the president�s address, expected to run less than 20 minutes.

�The Iraqi people have just concluded a historic election, and we now are entering a critical period for our mission in Iraq,� White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Friday.

�The president will talk about the importance of our mission and the way forward in 2006,� he said.