President Bush meets with Iraqis Amputated by Saddam Hussein

— -- President Bush met with a group of Iraqi citizens this morning whose hands were amputated by Saddam Hussein's regime in the Abu Ghraib prison and then recently replaced with American prosthetics by a Texas foundation.

Approaching one of the Iraqis, Bush took the man's prosthetic hand into his own and said, "I'm honored to shake the hand... of this great Iraqi citizen."

Bush described how the men were punished by Saddam Hussein and proceeded to repeat many of the lines he delivered in his speech last night.

"Iraqi citizens should develop a constitution they can call their own," Bush said. "The United States will be there to help them."

When asked about French President Jacques Chirac's demand that the June 30 handover lead to "real" sovereignty, Bush said, "That's what we want -- complete and real transfer of sovereignty."

Bush also said that Gen. Sanchez has done a "fabulous job" in Iraq.

Following the meeting, on the White House driveway, the Iraqi men showed off their new hands and thanked the United States for what it has done in Iraq.

When asked whether they want to see Abu Ghraib prison destroyed, the Iraqis' Houston doctor said, "If Abu Ghraib is going to be destroyed they want to swing the first hammer... They told the President that."

The doctor also called the amputations "nothing less than torture. They were poorly done, with minimal anesthesia."

Later today, President Bush travels to Youngstown, Ohio for a conversation on health care.