Although no agreement on authorizing force could be found within the United Nations Security Council, the war was ultimately launched in March 2003, after Bush, in a speech on March 17, 2003 effectively had set out a declaration of his objectives as ""assuring national security"" of the United States, and ""no more poison factories, no more executions of dissidents, no more torture chambers and rape rooms"". Bush also issued an ultimatum stating, ""Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict, commenced at a time of our choosing.""