| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"MioMyo" |
| Date: |
05 Sep 2006 08:17:06 PM |
| Object: |
Bush defends America's war on terror |
Looks like no change until at least Jan. 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/09/20060905-4.html
1:15 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. (Applause.) Thank you all. Please be
seated. General Hendrix, thank you for the invitation to be here. Thanks for
the kind introduction. I'm honored to stand with the men and women of the
Military Officers Association of America. I appreciate the Board of
Directors who are here, and the leaders who have given me this platform from
which to speak. I'm proud to be here with active members of the United
States military. Thank you for your service. I'm proud to be your
Commander-in-Chief. (Applause.)
I am pleased also to stand with members of the diplomatic corps, including
many representing nations that have been attacked by al Qaeda and its
terrorist allies since September the 11th, 2001. (Applause.) Your presence
here reminds us that we're engaged in a global war against an enemy that
threatens all civilized nations. And today the civilized world stands
together to defend our freedom; we stand together to defeat the terrorists;
and were working to secure the peace for generations to come.
I appreciate my Attorney General joining us today, Al Gonzales. Thank you
for being here. (Applause.) The Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael
Chertoff, is with us. (Applause.) Three members of the United States
Senate -- I might say, three important members of the United States
Senate -- Senate President Pro Tem Ted Stevens of Alaska. Thank you for
joining us, Senator. (Applause.) Chairman of the Appropriations Committee,
Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi. (Applause.) The Chairman of the Armed
Services Committee, John Warner of Virginia. (Applause.)
I thank Norb Ryan, as well, for his leadership. I do appreciate all the
folks that are at Walter Reed who have joined us today. I'm going to tell
the parents of our troops, we provide great health care to those who wear
the uniform. I'm proud of those folks at Bethesda and Walter Reed -- are
providing you the best possible care to help you recover from your injuries.
Thank you for your courage. Thank you for joining us here today. May God
bless you in your recovery. (Applause.)
Next week, America will mark the fifth anniversary of September the 11th,
2001 terrorist attacks. As this day approaches, it brings with it a flood of
painful memories. We remember the horror of watching planes fly into the
World Trade Center, and seeing the towers collapse before our eyes. We
remember the sight of the Pentagon, broken and in flames. We remember the
rescue workers who rushed into burning buildings to save lives, knowing they
might never emerge again. We remember the brave passengers who charged the
cockpit of their hijacked plane, and stopped the terrorists from reaching
their target and killing more innocent civilians. We remember the cold
brutality of the enemy who inflicted this harm on our country -- an enemy
whose leader, Osama bin Laden, declared the massacre of nearly 3,000 people
that day -- I quote -- "an unparalleled and magnificent feat of valor,
unmatched by any in humankind before them."
In five years since our nation was attacked, al Qaeda and terrorists it has
inspired have continued to attack across the world. They've killed the
innocent in Europe and Africa and the Middle East, in Central Asia and the
Far East, and beyond. Most recently, they attempted to strike again in the
most ambitious plot since the attacks of September the 11th -- a plan to
blow up passenger planes headed for America over the Atlantic Ocean.
Five years after our nation was attacked, the terrorist danger remains.
We're a nation at war -- and America and her allies are fighting this war
with relentless determination across the world. Together with our coalition
partners, we've removed terrorist sanctuaries, disrupted their finances,
killed and captured key operatives, broken up terrorist cells in America and
other nations, and stopped new attacks before they're carried out. We're on
the offense against the terrorists on every battlefront -- and we'll accept
nothing less than complete victory. (Applause.)
In the five years since our nation was attacked, we've also learned a great
deal about the enemy we face in this war. We've learned about them through
videos and audio recordings, and letters and statements they've posted on
websites. We've learned about them from captured enemy documents that the
terrorists have never meant for us to see. Together, these documents and
statements have given us clear insight into the mind of our enemies -- their
ideology, their ambitions, and their strategy to defeat us.
We know what the terrorists intend to do because they've told us -- and we
need to take their words seriously. So today I'm going to describe -- in the
terrorists' own words, what they believe. what they hope to accomplish, and
how they intend to accomplish it. I'll discuss how the enemy has adapted in
the wake of our sustained offensive against them, and the threat posed by
different strains of violent Islamic radicalism. I'll explain the strategy
we're pursuing to protect America, by defeating the terrorists on the
battlefield, and defeating their hateful ideology in the battle of ideas.
The terrorists who attacked us on September the 11th, 2001, are men without
conscience -- but they're not madmen. They kill in the name of a clear and
focused ideology, a set of beliefs that are evil, but not insane. These al
Qaeda terrorists and those who share their ideology are violent Sunni
extremists. They're driven by a radical and perverted vision of Islam that
rejects tolerance, crushes all dissent, and justifies the murder of innocent
men, women and children in the pursuit of political power. They hope to
establish a violent political utopia across the Middle East, which they call
a "Caliphate" -- where all would be ruled according to their hateful
ideology. Osama bin Laden has called the 9/11 attacks -- in his words -- "a
great step towards the unity of Muslims and establishing the Righteous.
[Caliphate]."
This caliphate would be a totalitarian Islamic empire encompassing all
current and former Muslim lands, stretching from Europe to North Africa, the
Middle East, and Southeast Asia. We know this because al Qaeda has told us.
About two months ago, the terrorist Zawahiri -- he's al Qaeda's second in
command -- declared that al Qaeda intends to impose its rule in "every land
that was a home for Islam, from [Spain] to Iraq. He went on to say, "The
whole world is an open field for us."
We know what this radical empire would look like in practice, because we saw
how the radicals imposed their ideology on the people of Afghanistan. Under
the rule of the Taliban and al Qaeda, Afghanistan was a totalitarian
nightmare -- a land where women were imprisoned in their homes, men were
beaten for missing prayer meetings, girls could not go to school, and
children were forbidden the smallest pleasures like flying kites. Religious
police roamed the streets, beating and detaining civilians for perceived
offenses. Women were publicly whipped. Summary executions were held in
Kabul's soccer stadium in front of cheering mobs. And Afghanistan was turned
into a launching pad for horrific attacks against America and other parts of
the civilized world -- including many Muslim nations.
The goal of these Sunni extremists is to remake the entire Muslim world in
their radical image. In pursuit of their imperial aims, these extremists say
there can be no compromise or dialogue with those they call "infidels" -- a
category that includes America, the world's free nations, Jews, and all
Muslims who reject their extreme vision of Islam. They reject the
possibility of peaceful coexistence with the free world. Again, hear the
words of Osama bin Laden earlier this year: "Death is better than living on
this Earth with the unbelievers among us."
These radicals have declared their uncompromising hostility to freedom. It
is foolish to think that you can negotiate with them. (Applause.) We see the
uncompromising nature of the enemy in many captured terrorist documents.
Here are just two examples: After the liberation of Afghanistan, coalition
forces searching through a terrorist safe house in that country found a copy
of the al Qaeda charter. This charter states that "there will be continuing
enmity until everyone believes in Allah. We will not meet [the enemy]
halfway. There will be no room for dialogue with them." Another document was
found in 2000 by British police during an anti-terrorist raid in London -- a
grisly al Qaeda manual that includes chapters with titles such as
"Guidelines for Beating and Killing Hostages." This manual declares that
their vision of Islam "does not. make a truce with unbelief, but rather
confronts it." The confrontation. calls for. the dialogue of bullets, the
ideals of assassination, bombing, and destruction, and the diplomacy of the
cannon and machine gun."
Still other captured documents show al Qaeda's strategy for infiltrating
Muslim nations, establishing terrorist enclaves, overthrowing governments,
and building their totalitarian empire. We see this strategy laid out in a
captured al Qaeda document found during a recent raid in Iraq, which
describes their plans to infiltrate and take over Iraq's western Anbar
Province. The document lays out an elaborate al Qaeda governing structure
for the region that includes an Education Department, a Social Services
Department, a Justice Department, and an "Execution Unit" responsible for
"Sorting out, Arrest, Murder, and Destruction."
According to their public statements, countries that have -- they have
targeted stretch from the Middle East to Africa, to Southeast Asia. Through
this strategy, al Qaeda and its allies intend to create numerous,
decentralized operating bases across the world, from which they can plan new
attacks, and advance their vision of a unified, totalitarian Islamic state
that can confront and eventually destroy the free world.
These violent extremists know that to realize this vision, they must first
drive out the main obstacle that stands in their way -- the United States of
America. According to al Qaeda, their strategy to defeat America has two
parts: First, they're waging a campaign of terror across the world. They're
targeting our forces abroad, hoping that the American people will grow tired
of casualties and give up the fight. And they're targeting America's
financial centers and economic infrastructure at home, hoping to terrorize
us and cause our economy to collapse.
Bin Laden calls this his "bleed-until-bankruptcy plan." And he cited the
attacks of 9/11 as evidence that such a plan can succeed. With the 9/11
attacks, Osama bin Laden says, "al Qaeda spent $500,000 on the event, while
America. lost -- according to the lowest estimate -- $500 billion. Meaning
that every dollar of al Qaeda defeated a million dollars" of America. Bin
Laden concludes from this experience that "America is definitely a great
power, with. unbelievable military strength and a vibrant economy, but all
of these have been built on a very weak and hollow foundation." He went on
to say, "Therefore, it is very easy to target the flimsy base and
concentrate on their weak points, and even if we're able to target one-tenth
of these weak points, we will be able [to] crush and destroy them."
Secondly, along with this campaign of terror, the enemy has a propaganda
strategy. Osama bin Laden laid out this strategy in a letter to the Taliban
leader, Mullah Omar, that coalition forces uncovered in Afghanistan in 2002.
In it, bin Laden says that al Qaeda intends to "[launch]," in his words, "a
media campaign. to create a wedge between the American people and their
government." This media campaign, bin Laden says, will send the American
people a number of messages, including "that their government [will] bring
them more losses, in finances and casualties." And he goes on to say that
"they are being sacrificed. to serve. the big investors, especially the
Jews." Bin Laden says that by delivering these messages, al Qaeda "aims at
creating pressure from the American people on the American government to
stop their campaign against Afghanistan."
Bin Laden and his allies are absolutely convinced they can succeed in
forcing America to retreat and causing our economic collapse. They believe
our nation is weak and decadent, and lacking in patience and resolve. And
they're wrong. (Applause.) Osama bin Laden has written that the "defeat
of... American forces in Beirut" in 1983 is proof America does not have the
stomach to stay in the fight. He's declared that "in Somalia. the United
States [pulled] out, trailing disappointment, defeat, and failure behind
it." And last year, the terrorist Zawahiri declared that Americans "know
better than others that there is no hope in victory. The Vietnam specter is
closing every outlet."
These terrorists hope to drive America and our coalition out of Afghanistan,
so they can restore the safe haven they lost when coalition forces drove
them out five years ago. But they've made clear that the most important
front in their struggle against America is Iraq -- the nation bin Laden has
declared the "capital of the Caliphate." Hear the words of bin Laden: "I now
address. the whole. Islamic nation: Listen and understand. The most. serious
issue today for the whole world is this Third World War. [that] is raging in
[Iraq]." He calls it "a war of destiny between infidelity and Islam." He
says, "The whole world is watching this war," and that it will end in
"victory and glory or misery and humiliation." For al Qaeda, Iraq is not a
distraction from their war on America -- it is the central battlefield where
the outcome of this struggle will be decided.
Here is what al Qaeda says they will do if they succeed in driving us out of
Iraq: The terrorist Zawahiri has said that al Qaeda will proceed with
"several incremental goals. The first stage: Expel the Americans from Iraq.
The second stage: Establish an Islamic authority or amirate, then develop it
and support it until it achieves the level of Caliphate. The third stage:
Extend the jihad wave to the secular countries neighboring Iraq. And the
fourth stage: .the clash with Israel."
These evil men know that a fundamental threat to their aspirations is a
democratic Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself.
They know that given a choice, the Iraqi people will never choose to live in
the totalitarian state the extremists hope to establish. And that is why we
must not, and we will not, give the enemy victory in Iraq by deserting the
Iraqi people. (Applause.)
Last year, the terrorist Zarqawi declared in a message posted on the
Internet that democracy "is the essence of infidelity and deviation from the
right path." The Iraqi people disagree. Last December, nearly 12 million
Iraqis from every ethnic and religious community turned out to vote in their
country's third free election in less than a year. Iraq now has a unity
government that represents Iraq's diverse population -- and al Qaeda's top
commander in Iraq breathed his last breath. (Applause.)
Despite these strategic setbacks, the enemy will continue to fight freedom's
advance in Iraq, because they understand the stakes in this war. Again, hear
the words of bin Laden, in a message to the American people earlier this
year. He says: "The war is for you or for us to win. If we win it, it means
your defeat and disgrace forever."
Now, I know some of our country hear the terrorists' words, and hope that
they will not, or cannot, do what they say. History teaches that
underestimating the words of evil and ambitious men is a terrible mistake.
In the early 1900s, an exiled lawyer in Europe published a pamphlet called
"What Is To Be Done?" -- in which he laid out his plan to launch a communist
revolution in Russia. The world did not heed Lenin's words, and paid a
terrible price. The Soviet Empire he established killed tens of millions,
and brought the world to the brink of thermonuclear war. In the 1920s, a
failed Austrian painter published a book in which he explained his intention
to build an Aryan super-state in Germany and take revenge on Europe and
eradicate the Jews. The world ignored Hitler's words, and paid a terrible
price. His Nazi regime killed millions in the gas chambers, and set the
world aflame in war, before it was finally defeated at a terrible cost in
lives.
Bin Laden and his terrorist allies have made their intentions as clear as
Lenin and Hitler before them. The question is: Will we listen? Will we pay
attention to what these evil men say? America and our coalition partners
have made our choice. We're taking the words of the enemy seriously. We're
on the offensive, and we will not rest, we will not retreat, and we will not
withdraw from the fight, until this threat to civilization has been removed.
(Applause.)
Five years into this struggle, it's important to take stock of what's been
accomplished -- and the difficult work that remains. Al Qaeda has been
weakened by our sustained offensive against them, and today it is harder for
al Qaeda's leaders to operate freely, to move money, or to communicate with
their operatives and facilitators. Yet al Qaeda remains dangerous and
determined. Bin Laden and Zawahiri remain in hiding in remote regions of
this world. Al Qaeda continues to adapt in the face of our global campaign
against them. Increasingly, al Qaeda is taking advantage of the Internet to
disseminate propaganda, and to conduct "virtual recruitment" and "virtual
training" of new terrorists. Al Qaeda's leaders no longer need to meet
face-to-face with their operatives. They can find new suicide bombers, and
facilitate new terrorist attacks, without ever laying eyes on those they're
training, financing, or sending to strike us.
As al Qaeda changes, the broader terrorist movement is also changing,
becoming more dispersed and self-directed. More and more, we're facing
threats from locally established terrorist cells that are inspired by al
Qaeda's ideology and goals, but do not necessarily have direct links to al
Qaeda, such as training and funding. Some of these groups are made up of
"homegrown" terrorists, militant extremists who were born and educated in
Western nations, were indoctrinated by radical Islamists or attracted to
their ideology, and joined the violent extremist cause. These locally
established cells appear to be responsible for a number of attacks and
plots, including those in Madrid, and Canada, and other countries across the
world.
As we continue to fight al Qaeda and these Sunni extremists inspired by
their radical ideology, we also face the threat posed by Shia extremists,
who are learning from al Qaeda, increasing their assertiveness, and stepping
up their threats. Like the vast majority of Sunnis, the vast majority of
Shia across the world reject the vision of extremists -- and in Iraq,
millions of Shia have defied terrorist threats to vote in free elections,
and have shown their desire to live in freedom. The Shia extremists want to
deny them this right. This Shia strain of Islamic radicalism is just as
dangerous, and just as hostile to America, and just as determined to
establish its brand of hegemony across the broader Middle East. And the Shia
extremists have achieved something that al Qaeda has so far failed to do: In
1979, they took control of a major power, the nation of Iran, subjugating
its proud people to a regime of tyranny, and using that nation's resources
to fund the spread of terror and pursue their radical agenda.
Like al Qaeda and the Sunni extremists, the Iranian regime has clear aims:
They want to drive America out of the region, to destroy Israel, and to
dominate the broader Middle East. To achieve these aims, they are funding
and arming terrorist groups like Hezbollah, which allow them to attack
Israel and America by proxy. Hezbollah, the source of the current
instability in Lebanon, has killed more Americans than any terrorist
organization except al Qaeda. Unlike al Qaeda, they've not yet attacked the
American homeland. Yet they're directly responsible for the murder of
hundreds of Americans abroad. It was Hezbollah that was behind the 1983
bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 Americans. And
Saudi Hezbollah was behind the 1996 bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia
that killed 19 Americans, an attack conducted by terrorists who we believe
were working with Iranian officials.
Just as we must take the words of the Sunni extremists seriously, we must
take the words of the Shia extremists seriously. Listen to the words of
Hezbollah's leader, the terrorist Nasrallah, who has declared his hatred of
America. He says, "Let the entire world hear me. Our hostility to the Great
Satan [America] is absolute. Regardless of how the world has changed after
11 September, Death to America will remain our reverberating and powerful
slogan: Death to America."
Iran's leaders, who back Hezbollah, have also declared their absolute
hostility to America. Last October, Iran's President declared in a speech
that some people ask -- in his words -- "whether a world without the United
States and Zionism can be achieved. I say that this. goal is achievable."
Less than three months ago, Iran's President declared to America and other
Western powers: "open your eyes and see the fate of pharaoh. if you do not
abandon the path of falsehood. your doomed destiny will be annihilation."
Less than two months ago, he warned: "The anger of Muslims may reach an
explosion point soon. If such a day comes. [America and the West] should
know that the waves of the blast will not remain within the boundaries of
our region." He also delivered this message to the American people: "If you
would like to have good relations with the Iranian nation in the future. bow
down before the greatness of the Iranian nation and surrender. If you don't
accept [to do this], the Iranian nation will. force you to surrender and bow
down."
America will not bow down to tyrants. (Applause.)
The Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies have demonstrated their
willingness to kill Americans -- and now the Iranian regime is pursuing
nuclear weapons. The world is working together to prevent Iran's regime from
acquiring the tools of mass murder. The international community has made a
reasonable proposal to Iran's leaders, and given them the opportunity to set
their nation on a better course. So far, Iran's leaders have rejected this
offer. Their choice is increasingly isolating the great Iranian nation from
the international community, and denying the Iranian people an opportunity
for greater economic prosperity. It's time for Iran's leader to make a
different choice. And we've made our choice. We'll continue to work closely
with our allies to find a diplomatic solution. The world's free nations will
not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. (Applause.)
The Shia and Sunni extremists represent different faces of the same threat.
They draw inspiration from different sources, but both seek to impose a dark
vision of violent Islamic radicalism across the Middle East. They oppose the
advance of freedom, and they want to gain control of weapons of mass
destruction. If they succeed in undermining fragile democracies, like Iraq,
and drive the forces of freedom out of the region, they will have an open
field to pursue their dangerous goals. Each strain of violent Islamic
radicalism would be emboldened in their efforts to topple moderate
governments and establish terrorist safe havens.
Imagine a world in which they were able to control governments, a world
awash with oil and they would use oil resources to punish industrialized
nations. And they would use those resources to fuel their radical agenda,
and pursue and purchase weapons of mass murder. And armed with nuclear
weapons, they would blackmail the free world, and spread their ideologies of
hate, and raise a mortal threat to the American people. If we allow them to
do this, if we retreat from Iraq, if we don't uphold our duty to support
those who are desirous to live in liberty, 50 years from now history will
look back on our time with unforgiving clarity, and demand to know why we
did not act.
I'm not going to allow this to happen -- and no future American President
can allow it either. America did not seek this global struggle, but we're
answering history's call with confidence and a clear strategy. Today we're
releasing a document called the "National Strategy for Combating Terrorism."
This is an unclassified version of the strategy we've been pursuing since
September the 11th, 2001. This strategy was first released in February 2003;
it's been updated to take into account the changing nature of this enemy.
This strategy document is posted on the White House website --
whitehouse.gov. And I urge all Americans to read it.
Our strategy for combating terrorism has five basic elements:
First, we're determined to prevent terrorist attacks before they occur. So
we're taking the fight to the enemy. The best way to protect America is to
stay on the offense. Since 9/11, our coalition has captured or killed al
Qaeda managers and operatives, and scores of other terrorists across the
world. The enemy is living under constant pressure, and we intend to keep it
that way -- and this adds to our security. When terrorists spend their days
working to avoid death or capture, it's harder for them to plan and execute
new attacks.
We're also fighting the enemy here at home. We've given our law enforcement
and intelligence professionals the tools they need to stop the terrorists in
our midst. We passed the Patriot Act to break down the wall that prevented
law enforcement and intelligence from sharing vital information. We created
the Terrorist Surveillance Program to monitor the communications between al
Qaeda commanders abroad and terrorist operatives within our borders. If al
Qaeda is calling somebody in America, we need to know why, in order to stop
attacks. (Applause.)
I want to thank these three Senators for working with us to give our law
enforcement and intelligence officers the tools necessary to do their jobs.
(Applause.) And over the last five years, federal, state, and local law
enforcement have used those tools to break up terrorist cells, and to
prosecute terrorist operatives and supporters in New York, and Oregon, and
Virginia, and Texas, and New Jersey, and Illinois, Ohio, and other states.
By taking the battle to the terrorists and their supporters on our own soil
and across the world, we've stopped a number of al Qaeda plots.
Second, we're determined to deny weapons of mass destruction to outlaw
regimes and terrorists who would use them without hesitation. Working with
Great Britain and Pakistan and other nations, the United States shut down
the world's most dangerous nuclear trading cartel, the AQ Khan network. This
network had supplied Iran and Libya and North Korea with equipment and
know-how that advanced their efforts to obtain nuclear weapons. And we
launched the Proliferation Security Initiative, a coalition of more than 70
nations that is working together to stop shipments related to weapons of
mass destruction on land, at sea, and in the air. The greatest threat this
world faces is the danger of extremists and terrorists armed with weapons of
mass destruction -- and this is a threat America cannot defeat on her own.
We applaud the determined efforts of many nations around the world to stop
the spread of these dangerous weapons. Together, we pledge we'll continue to
work together to stop the world's most dangerous men from getting their
hands on the world's most dangerous weapons. (Applause.)
Third, we're determined to deny terrorists the support of outlaw regimes.
After September the 11th, I laid out a clear doctrine: America makes no
distinction between those who commit acts of terror, and those that harbor
and support them, because they're equally guilty of murder. Thanks to our
efforts, there are now three fewer state sponsors of terror in the world
than there were on September the 11th, 2001. Afghanistan and Iraq have been
transformed from terrorist states into allies in the war on terror. And the
nation of Libya has renounced terrorism, and given up its weapons of mass
destruction programs, and its nuclear materials and equipment. Over the past
five years, we've acted to disrupt the flow of weapons and support from
terrorist states to terrorist networks. And we have made clear that any
government that chooses to be an ally of terror has also chosen to be an
enemy of civilization. (Applause.)
Fourth, we're determined to deny terrorist networks control of any nation,
or territory within a nation. So, along with our coalition and the Iraqi
government, we'll stop the terrorists from taking control of Iraq, and
establishing a new safe haven from which to attack America and the free
world. And we're working with friends and allies to deny the terrorists the
enclaves they seek to establish in ungoverned areas across the world. By
helping governments reclaim full sovereign control over their territory, we
make ourselves more secure.
Fifth, we're working to deny terrorists new recruits, by defeating their
hateful ideology and spreading the hope of freedom -- by spreading the hope
of freedom across the Middle East. For decades, American policy sought to
achieve peace in the Middle East by pursuing stability at the expense of
liberty. The lack of freedom in that region helped create conditions where
anger and resentment grew, and radicalism thrived, and terrorists found
willing recruits. And we saw the consequences on September the 11th, when
the terrorists brought death and destruction to our country. The policy
wasn't working.
The experience of September the 11th made clear, in the long run, the only
way to secure our nation is to change the course of the Middle East. So
America has committed its influence in the world to advancing freedom and
liberty and democracy as the great alternatives to repression and
radicalism. (Applause.) We're taking the side of democratic leaders and
moderates and reformers across the Middle East. We strongly support the
voices of tolerance and moderation in the Muslim world. We're standing with
Afghanistan's elected government against al Qaeda and the Taliban remnants
that are trying to restore tyranny in that country. We're standing with
Lebanon's young democracy against the foreign forces that are seeking to
undermine the country's sovereignty and independence. And we're standing
with the leaders of Iraq's unity government as they work to defeat the
enemies of freedom, and chart a more hopeful course for their people. This
is why victory is so important in Iraq. By helping freedom succeed in Iraq,
we will help America, and the Middle East, and the world become more secure.
During the last five years we've learned a lot about this enemy. We've
learned that they're cunning and sophisticated. We've witnessed their
ability to change their methods and their tactics with deadly speed -- even
as their murderous obsessions remain unchanging. We've seen that it's the
terrorists who have declared war on Muslims, slaughtering huge numbers of
innocent Muslim men and women around the world.
We know what the terrorists believe, we know what they have done, and we
know what they intend to do. And now the world's free nations must summon
the will to meet this great challenge. The road ahead is going to be
difficult, and it will require more sacrifice. Yet we can have confidence in
the outcome, because we've seen freedom conquer tyranny and terror before.
In the 20th century, free nations confronted and defeated Nazi Germany.
During the Cold War, we confronted Soviet communism, and today Europe is
whole, free and at peace.
And now, freedom is once again contending with the forces of darkness and
tyranny. This time, the battle is unfolding in a new region -- the broader
Middle East. This time, we're not waiting for our enemies to gather in
strength. This time, we're confronting them before they gain the capacity to
inflict unspeakable damage on the world, and we're confronting their hateful
ideology before it fully takes root.
We see a day when people across the Middle East have governments that honor
their dignity, and unleash their creativity, and count their votes. We see a
day when across this region citizens are allowed to express themselves
freely, women have full rights, and children are educated and given the
tools necessary to succeed in life. And we see a day when all the nations of
the Middle East are allies in the cause of peace.
We fight for this day, because the security of our own citizens depends on
it. This is the great ideological struggle of the 21st century -- and it is
the calling of our generation. All civilized nations are bound together in
this struggle between moderation and extremism. By coming together, we will
roll back this grave threat to our way of life. We will help the people of
the Middle East claim their freedom, and we will leave a safer and more
hopeful world for our children and grandchildren.
God bless. (Applause.)
END 1:59 P.M. EDT
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| User: "Bob Eld" |
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| Title: Re: Bush defends America's war on terror |
05 Sep 2006 09:49:52 PM |
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"MioMyo" <USA_Patriot@Somewhere.com> wrote in message
news:mkpLg.21346$kO3.15574@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
Looks like no change until at least Jan. 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/09/20060905-4.html
Cut the Bush bull *****.......
Bin Laden this...Bla bla...Bin Laden that. Bin Laden is Hitler....What utter
crap. How many tanks, guns, planes, bombs, ships, rockets, V-2's, factories,
oil refineries and how big an army does Bin Laden have? Bin Laden sent 19
guys (count em) over here and you'd think he started WWIII the way Bush
carries on. If Bin Laden is so ***** important why is he still out there?
Why was he let go at Torra Bora? Why wasn't Franks held accountable for
letting him slip away.Why have they not eliminated him it the last five
years? Why Iraq? of all the diversions The whole thing is just crap piled on
top BS. Heaven help us if the American sheeple buy into this garbage once
again.
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| User: "Tazmanian Devil" |
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| Title: Re: Bush defends America's war on terror |
05 Sep 2006 10:08:39 PM |
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"Bob Eld" <nsmontassoc@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:kHqLg.6285$tU.483@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
"MioMyo" <USA_Patriot@Somewhere.com> wrote in message
news:mkpLg.21346$kO3.15574@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
Looks like no change until at least Jan. 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/09/20060905-4.html
Cut the Bush bull *****.......
Bin Laden this...Bla bla...Bin Laden that. Bin Laden is Hitler....What
utter
crap. How many tanks, guns, planes, bombs, ships, rockets, V-2's,
factories,
oil refineries and how big an army does Bin Laden have? Bin Laden sent 19
guys (count em) over here and you'd think he started WWIII the way Bush
carries on. If Bin Laden is so ***** important why is he still out
there?
Why was he let go at Torra Bora? Why wasn't Franks held accountable for
letting him slip away.Why have they not eliminated him it the last five
years? Why Iraq? of all the diversions The whole thing is just crap piled
on
top BS. Heaven help us if the American sheeple buy into this garbage once
again.
Is it any wonder that so many of these Bushies get sucked into cults? I bet
"MioMyo" is, or has been involved with Amway, or sends donations to Rev.
Tilton.
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| User: "Chuck Feney" |
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| Title: Re: Bush defends America's war on terror |
06 Sep 2006 05:04:36 AM |
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On Wed, 06 Sep 2006, "MioMyo" <USA_Patriot@Somewhere.com> wrote:
Looks like no change until at least Jan. 2009.
Well, the rhetoric will change. On Nov 8, 2006, he will stop talking
about WOT. Until then, however, we will be treated by Bush and the
Corporate Media to a daily speech, press release or "in-depth
analysis" reminding us to be very afraid and only the Republicans can
save us.
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| User: "Ken Lovering" |
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| Title: Re: Bush defends America's war on terror |
06 Sep 2006 06:09:44 AM |
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"Chuck Feney" <It's.@.Slam.Dunk.> wrote in message
news:7t6tf2hbrsf0al5kr06v3smknnkgb1r7lo@4ax.com...
On Wed, 06 Sep 2006, "MioMyo" <USA_Patriot@Somewhere.com> wrote:
Looks like no change until at least Jan. 2009.
Well, the rhetoric will change. On Nov 8, 2006, he will stop talking
about WOT. Until then, however, we will be treated by Bush and the
Corporate Media to a daily speech, press release or "in-depth
analysis" reminding us to be very afraid and only the Republicans can
save us.
Modern terrorism has come to be defined in part by the influential power of
the mass media that terrorists co-opt in their efforts to amplify and
broadcast feelings of intense fear and anger. As a type of unconventional
warfare, terrorism is designed to weaken or supplant existing political
landscapes through capitulation or acquiescence as opposed to subversion or
direct military action.
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| User: "Peach" |
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| Title: Re: Bush defends America's war on terror |
06 Sep 2006 05:18:58 AM |
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Chuck Feney wrote:
On Wed, 06 Sep 2006, "MioMyo" <USA_Patriot@Somewhere.com> wrote:
Looks like no change until at least Jan. 2009.
Well, the rhetoric will change. On Nov 8, 2006, he will stop talking
about WOT. Until then, however, we will be treated by Bush and the
Corporate Media to a daily speech, press release or "in-depth
analysis" reminding us to be very afraid and only the Republicans can
save us.
****************************************************************************************
It hard to tell which is worse; his comparison of bin Laden to Hitler
or his continual references to himself as COMMANDER IN CHIEF. Both are
absurd.
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