Hedges In George W. Bush’s Speeches
APPENDICES
George W. Bush
The I raqi Threat
Cincinnat i, OH
Oct ober 7, 2002
Thank you all. Thank you for t hat very gracious and warm Cincinnat i
welcom e. I 'm honored t o be here t onight ; I appreciat e you all com ing.
Tonight I want t o t ake a few m inut es t o discuss a grave t hreat t o peace,
and Am erica's det erm inat ion t o lead t he world in confront ing t hat t hreat .
The t hreat com es from I raq. I t arises direct ly from t he I raqi regim e's ow n
act ions - - it s hist ory of aggression, and it s drive t oward an arsenal of
t error. Eleven years ago, as a condit ion for ending t he Persian Gulf War,
t he I raqi regim e was required t o dest roy it s weapons of m ass
dest ruct ion, t o cease all developm ent of such w eapons, and t o st op all
support for t errorist groups. The I raqi regim e has violat ed all of t hose
obligat ions. I t possesses and produces chem ical and biological weapons.
I t is seeking nuclear weapons. I t has given shelt er and support t o
t errorism , and pract ices t error against it s own people. The ent ire world
has wit nessed I raq's eleven- year hist ory of defiance, decept ion and bad
fait h.
We also m ust never forget t he m ost vivid event s of recent hist ory. On
Sept em ber t he 11t h, 2001, Am erica felt it s vulnerabilit y - - even t o
t hreat s t hat gat her on t he ot her side of t he eart h. We resolved t hen, and
we are resolved t oday, t o confront every t hreat , from any source, t hat
could 1 bring sudden t error and suffering t o Am erica.
Mem bers of t he Congress of bot h polit ical part ies, and m em bers of t he
Unit ed Nat ions Securit y Council, agree t hat Saddam Hussein is a t hreat t o
peace and m ust disarm . We agree t hat t he I raqi dict at or m ust not be
perm it t ed t o t hreat en Am erica and t he world wit h horrible poisons and
diseases and gases and at om ic weapons. Since we all agree on t his goal,
t he issues is : how can we best achieve it ?
Many Am ericans have raised legit im at e quest ions: about t he nat ure of
t he t hreat ; about t he urgency of act ion - - why be concerned now; about
t he link bet ween I raq developing weapons of t error, and t he wider war on
t error. These are all issues we've discussed broadly and fully wit hin m y
adm inist rat ion. And t onight , I want t o share t hose discussions w it h you.
First , som e 2 ask why I raq is different from ot her count ries or regim es
t hat also have t errible weapons. While 3 t here are m any dangers in t he
world, t he t hreat from I raq st ands alone - - because it gat hers t he m ost
serious dangers of our age in one place. I raq's weapons of m ass
dest ruct ion are cont rolled by a m urderous t yrant who has already used
Universitas Sumatera Utara
chem ical weapons t o kill t housands of people. This sam e t yrant has t ried
t o dom inat e t he Middle East , has invaded and brut ally occupied a sm all
neighbor, has st ruck ot her nat ions wit hout warning, and holds an
unrelent ing host ilit y t oward t he Unit ed St at es.
By it s past and present act ions, by it s t echnological capabilit ies, by t he
m erciless nat ure of it s regim e, I raq is unique. As a form er chief weapons
inspect or of t he U.N. has said, " The fundam ent al problem wit h I raq
rem ains t he nat ure of t he regim e, it self. Saddam Hussein is a hom icidal
dict at or w ho is addict ed t o weapons of m ass dest ruct ion."
Som e 4 ask how urgent t his danger is t o Am erica and t he world. The
danger is already significant , and it only grows w orse wit h t im e. I f 5 we
know Saddam Hussein has dangerous weapons t oday - - and we do - does it m ake any sense for t he world t o w ait t o confront him as he grow s
even st ronger and develops even m ore dangerous w eapons?
I n 1995, aft er several years of deceit by t he I raqi regim e, t he head of
I raq's m ilit ary indust ries defect ed. I t was t hen t hat t he regim e was forced
t o adm it t hat it had produced m ore t han 30,000 lit ers of ant hrax and
ot her deadly biological agent s. The inspect ors, however, concluded t hat
I raq had likely 6 produced t wo t o four t im es t hat am ount . This is a
m assive st ockpile of biological weapons t hat has never been account ed
for, and capable of killing m illions.
We know t hat t he regim e has produced t housands of t ons of chem ical
agent s, including m ust ard gas, sarin nerve gas, VX nerve gas. Saddam
Hussein also has experience in using chem ical weapons. He has ordered
chem ical at t acks on I ran, and on m ore t han fort y villages in his own
count ry. These act ions killed or inj ured at least 20,000 people, m ore t han
six t im es t he num ber of people who died in t he at t acks of Sept em ber t he
11t h.
And surveillance phot os reveal t hat t he regim e is rebuilding facilit ies t hat
it had used t o produce chem ical and biological weapons. Every chem ical
and biological weapon t hat I raq has or m akes is a direct violat ion of t he
t ruce t hat ended t he Persian Gulf War in 1991. Yet , Saddam Hussein has
chosen t o build and keep t hese weapons despit e int ernat ional sanct ions,
U.N. dem ands, and isolat ion from t he civilized world.
I raq possesses ballist ic m issiles wit h a likely 7 range of hundreds of m iles - far enough t o st rike Saudi Arabia, I srael, Turkey, and ot her nat ions - - in
a region where m ore t han 135,000 Am erican civilians and service
m em bers live and w ork. We've also discovered t hrough int elligence t hat
I raq has a growing fleet of m anned and unm anned aerial vehicles t hat
could 8 be used t o disperse chem ical or biological weapons across broad
areas. We're concerned t hat I raq is exploring ways of using t hese UAVS
for m issions t arget ing t he Unit ed St at es. And, of course, sophist icat ed
delivery syst em s aren't required for a chem ical or biological at t ack; all
t hat m ight 9 be required are a sm all cont ainer and one t errorist or I raqi
int elligence operat ive t o deliver it .
Universitas Sumatera Utara
And t hat is t he source of our urgent concern about Saddam Hussein's
links t o int ernat ional t errorist groups. Over t he years, I raq has provided
safe haven t o t errorist s such as Abu Nidal, whose t error organizat ion
carried out m ore t han 90 t errorist at t acks in 20 count ries t hat killed or
inj ured nearly 900 people, including 12 Am ericans. I raq has also provided
safe haven t o Abu Abbas, who was responsible for seizing t he Achille
Lauro and killing an Am erican passenger. And w e know t hat I raq is
cont inuing t o finance t error and gives assist ance t o groups t hat use
t errorism t o underm ine Middle East peace.
We know t hat I raq and t he al Qaeda t errorist net w ork share a com m on
enem y - - t he Unit ed St at es of Am erica. We know t hat I raq and al Qaeda
have had high- level cont act s t hat go back a decade. Som e al Qaeda
leaders who fled Afghanist an went t o I raq. These include one very senior
al Qaeda leader who received m edical t reat m ent in Baghdad t his year,
and who has been associat ed wit h planning for chem ical and biological
at t acks. We've learned t hat I raq has t rained al Qaeda m em bers in bom bm aking and poisons and deadly gases. And we know t hat aft er
Sept em ber t he 11t h, Saddam Hussein's regim e gleefully celebrat ed t he
t errorist at t acks on Am erica.
I raq could 10 decide on any given day t o provide a biological or chem ical
weapon t o a t errorist group or individual t errorist s. Alliance wit h t errorist s
could 11 allow t he I raqi regim e t o at t ack Am erica wit hout leaving any
fingerprint s.
Som e 12 have argued t hat confront ing t he t hreat from I raq could 13 det ract
from t he war against t error. To t he cont rary; confront ing t he t hreat
posed by I raq is crucial t o winning t he war on t error. When I spoke t o
Congress m ore t han a year ago, I said t hat t hose who harbor t errorist s
are as guilt y as t he t errorist s t hem selves. Saddam Hussein is harboring
t errorist s and t he inst rum ent s of t error, t he inst rum ent s of m ass deat h
and dest ruct ion. And he cannot be t rust ed. The risk is sim ply t oo great
t hat he will use t hem , or provide t hem t o a t error net work.
Terror cells and out law regim es building weapons of m ass dest ruct ion are
different faces of t he sam e evil. Our securit y requires t hat w e confront
bot h. And t he Unit ed St at es m ilit ary is capable of confront ing bot h.
Many people have asked how close Saddam Hussein is t o developing a
nuclear weapon. Well, we don't know exact ly, and t hat 's t he problem .
Before t he Gulf War, t he best int elligence indicat ed t hat I raq w as eight t o
t en years away from developing a nuclear weapon. Aft er t he war,
int ernat ional inspect ors learned t hat t he regim e has been m uch closer - t he regim e in I raq would likely have possessed a nuclear weapon no lat er
t han 1993. The inspect ors discovered t hat I raq had an advanced nuclear
weapons developm ent program , had a design for a workable nuclear
weapon, and was pursuing several different m et hods of enriching
uranium for a bom b.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
Before being barred from I raq in 1998, t he I nt ernat ional At om ic Energy
Agency dism ant led ext ensive nuclear weapons- relat ed facilit ies, including
t hree uranium enrichm ent sit es. That sam e year, inform at ion from a
high- ranking I raqi nuclear engineer who had defect ed revealed t hat
despit e his public prom ises, Saddam Hussein had ordered his nuclear
program t o cont inue.
The evidence indicat es t hat I raq is reconst it ut ing it s nuclear weapons
program . Saddam Hussein has held num erous m eet ings wit h I raqi
nuclear scient ist s, a group he calls his " nuclear m uj ahideen" - - his
nuclear holy warriors. Sat ellit e phot ographs reveal t hat I raq is rebuilding
facilit ies at sit es t hat have been part of it s nuclear program in t he past .
I raq has at t em pt ed t o purchase high- st rengt h alum inum t ubes and ot her
equipm ent needed for gas cent rifuges, which are used t o enrich uranium
for nuclear weapons.
I f 14 t he I raqi regim e is able t o produce, buy, or st eal an am ount of highly
enriched uranium a lit t le larger t han a single soft ball, it could have a
nuclear weapon in less t han a year. And if 15 we allow t hat t o happen, a
t errible line would be crossed. Saddam Hussein would 16 be in a posit ion
t o blackm ail anyone who opposes his aggression. He would 17 be in a
posit ion t o dom inat e t he Middle East . He would 18 be in a posit ion t o
t hreat en Am erica. And Saddam Hussein would 19 be in a posit ion t o pass
nuclear t echnology t o t errorist s.
Som e cit izens wonder, aft er 11 years of living wit h t his problem , why do
we need t o confront it now? And t here's a reason. We've experienced t he
horror of Sept em ber t he 11t h. We have seen t hat t hose who hat e
Am erica are willing t o crash airplanes int o buildings full of innocent
people. Our enem ies would 20 be no less willing, in fact , t hey would be
eager, t o use biological or chem ical, or a nuclear weapon.
Knowing t hese realit ies, Am erica m ust not ignore t he t hreat gat hering
against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for t he final
proof - - t he sm oking gun - - t hat could 21 com e in t he form of a m ushroom
cloud. As President Kennedy said in Oct ober of 1962, " Neit her t he Unit ed
St at es of Am erica, nor t he w orld com m unit y of nat ions can t olerat e
deliberat e decept ion and offensive t hreat s on t he part of any nat ion,
large or sm all. We no longer live in a world," he said, " where only t he
act ual firing of weapons represent s a sufficient challenge t o a nat ions
securit y t o const it ut e m axim um peril."
Underst anding t he t hreat s of our t im e, know ing t he designs and
decept ions of t he I raqi regim e, we have every reason t o assum e t he
worst , and we have an urgent dut y t o prevent t he worst from occurring.
Som e 22 believe we can address t his danger by sim ply resum ing t he old
approach t o inspect ions, and applying diplom at ic and econom ic pressure.
Yet t his is precisely what t he world has t ried t o do since 1991. The U.N.
inspect ions program was m et w it h syst em at ic decept ion. The I raqi regim e
bugged hot el room s and offices of inspect ors t o find where t hey were
Universitas Sumatera Utara
going next ; t hey forged docum ent s, dest royed evidence, and developed
m obile weapons facilit ies t o keep a st ep ahead of inspect ors. Eight socalled president ial palaces were declared off- lim it s t o unfet t ered
inspect ions. These sit es act ually encom pass t w elve square m iles, wit h
hundreds of st ruct ures, bot h above and below t he ground, where
sensit ive m at erials could be hiden.”
The world has also t ried econom ic sanct ions - - and wat ched I raq use
billions of dollars in illegal oil revenues t o fund m ore weapons purchases,
rat her t han providing for t he needs of t he I raqi people.
The world has t ried lim it ed m ilit ary st rikes t o dest roy I raq's w eapons of
m ass dest ruct ion capabilit ies - - only t o see t hem openly rebuilt , while t he
regim e again denies t hey even exist .
The world has t ried no- fly zones t o keep Saddam from t errorizing his own
people - - and in t he last year alone, t he I raqi m ilit ary has fired upon
Am erican and Brit ish pilot s m ore t han 750 t im es.
Aft er eleven years during
inspect ions, even select ed
Hussein st ill has chem ical
capabilit ies t o m ake m ore.
nuclear weapon.
which we have t ried cont ainm ent , sanct ions,
m ilit ary act ion, t he end result is t hat Saddam
and biological weapons and is increasing his
And he is m oving ever closer t o developing a
Clearly, t o act ually work, any new inspect ions, sanct ions or enforcem ent
m echanism s will have t o be very different . Am erica want s t he U.N. t o be
an effect ive organizat ion t hat helps keep t he peace. And t hat is why we
are urging t he Securit y Council t o adopt a new resolut ion set t ing out
t ough, im m ediat e requirem ent s. Am ong t hose requirem ent s: t he I raqi
regim e m ust reveal and dest roy, under U.N. supervision, all exist ing
weapons of m ass dest ruct ion. To ensure t hat we learn t he t rut h, t he
regim e m ust allow wit nesses t o it s illegal act ivit ies t o be int erviewed
out side t he count ry - - and t hese wit nesses m ust be free t o bring t heir
fam ilies wit h t hem so t hey all beyond t he reach of Saddam Hussein's
t error and m urder. And inspect ors m ust have access t o any sit e, at any
t im e, wit hout pre- clearance, wit hout delay, wit hout except ions.
The t im e for denying, deceiving, and delaying has com e t o an end.
Saddam Hussein m ust disarm him self - - or, for t he sake of peace, we will
lead a coalit ion t o disarm him .
Many nat ions are j oining us in insist ing t hat Saddam Hussein's regim e be
held account able. They are com m it t ed t o defending t he int ernat ional
securit y t hat prot ect s t he lives of bot h our cit izens and t heirs. And t hat 's
why Am erica is challenging all nat ions t o t ake t he resolut ions of t he U.N.
Securit y Council seriously.
And t hese resolut ions are clear. I n addit ion t o declaring and dest roying
all of it s weapons of m ass dest ruct ion, I raq m ust end it s support for
Universitas Sumatera Utara
t errorism . I t m ust cease t he persecut ion of it s civilian populat ion. I t m ust
st op all illicit t rade out side t he Oil For Food program . I t m ust release or
account for all Gulf War personnel, including an Am erican pilot , whose
fat e is st ill unknown.
By t aking t hese st eps, and by only t aking t hese st eps, t he I raqi regim e
has an opport unit y t o avoid conflict . Taking t hese st eps would 23 also
change t he nat ure of t he I raqi regim e it self. Am erica hopes t he regim e
will m ake t hat choice. Unfort unat ely, at least so far, we have lit t le reason
t o expect it . And t hat 's why t wo adm inist rat ions - - m ine and President
Clint on's - - have st at ed t hat regim e change in I raq is t he only cert ain
m eans of rem oving a great danger t o our nat ion.
I hope t his will not require m ilit ary act ion, but it m ay. And m ilit ary
conflict could 24 be difficult . An I raqi regim e faced wit h it s own dem ise
m ay at t em pt cruel and desperat e m easures. I f 25 Saddam Hussein orders
such m easures, his generals would be well advised t o refuse t hose
orders. I f 26 t hey do not refuse, t hey m ust underst and t hat all war
crim inals will be pursued and punished. I f 27 we have t o act , we will t ake
every precaut ion t hat is possible. We will plan carefully; we w ill act wit h
t he full power of t he Unit ed St at es m ilit ary; we will act wit h allies at our
side, and we will prevail. ( Applause.)
There is no easy or risk- free course of act ion. Som e 28 have argued we
should wait - - and t hat 's an opt ion. I n m y view, it 's t he riskiest of all
opt ions, because t he longer we wait , t he st ronger and bolder Saddam
Hussein will becom e. We could 29 wait and hope t hat Saddam does not
give weapons t o t errorist s, or develop a nuclear weapon t o blackm ail t he
world. But I 'm convinced t hat is a hope against all evidence. As
Am ericans, we want peace - - w e work and sacrifice for peace. But t here
can be no peace if our securit y depends on t he will and whim s of a
rut hless and aggressive dict at or. I 'm not willing t o st ake one Am erican
life on t rust ing Saddam Hussein.
Failure t o act would 30 em bolden ot her t yrant s, allow t errorist s access t o
new weapons and new resources, and m ake blackm ail a perm anent
feat ure of world event s. The Unit ed Nat ions would 31 bet ray t he purpose of
it s founding, and prove irrelevant t o t he problem s of our t im e. And
t hrough it s inact ion, t he Unit ed St at es would 32 resign it self t o a fut ure of
fear.
That is not t he Am erica I know. That is not t he Am erica I serve. We
refuse t o live in fear. ( Applause.) This nat ion, in world war and in Cold
War, has never perm it t ed t he brut al and lawless t o set hist ory's course.
Now, as before, we will secure our nat ion, prot ect our freedom , and help
ot hers t o find freedom of t heir own.
Som e 33 w orry t hat a change of leadership in I raq could creat e inst abilit y
and m ake t he sit uat ion worse. The sit uat ion could 34 hardly get worse, for
world securit y and for t he people of I raq. The lives of I raqi cit izens would
im prove dram at ically if 35 Saddam Hussein were no longer in power, j ust
Universitas Sumatera Utara
as t he lives of Afghanist an's cit izens im proved aft er t he Taliban. The
dict at or of I raq is a st udent of St alin, using m urder as a t ool of t error and
cont rol, wit hin his own cabinet , wit hin his own arm y, and even wit hin his
own fam ily.
On Saddam Hussein's orders, opponent s have been decapit at ed, wives
and m ot hers of polit ical opponent s have been syst em at ically raped as a
m et hod of int im idat ion, and polit ical prisoners have been forced t o wat ch
t heir own children being t ort ured.
Am erica believes36 t hat all people are ent it led t o hope and hum an right s,
t o t he non- negot iable dem ands of hum an dignit y. People everywhere
prefer freedom t o slavery; prosperit y t o squalor; self- governm ent t o t he
rule of t error and t ort ure. Am erica is a friend t o t he people of I raq. Our
dem ands are direct ed only at t he regim e t hat enslaves t hem and
t hreat ens us. When t hese dem ands are m et , t he first and great est benefit
will com e t o I raqi m en, wom en and children. The oppression of Kurds,
Assyrians, Turkom ans, Shi'a, Sunnis and ot hers will be lift ed. The long
capt ivit y of I raq will end, and an era of new hope will begin.
I raq is a land rich in cult ure, resources, and t alent . Freed from t he weight
of oppression, I raq's people will be able t o share in t he progress and
prosperit y of our t im e. I f 37 m ilit ary act ion is necessary, t he Unit ed St at es
and our allies will help t he I raqi people rebuild t heir econom y, and creat e
t he inst it ut ions of libert y in a unified I raq at peace wit h it s neighbors.
Lat er t his week, t he Unit ed St at es Congress will vot e on t his m at t er. I
have asked Congress t o aut horize t he use of Am erica's m ilit ary, if 38 it
proves necessary, t o enforce U.N. Securit y Council dem ands. Approving
t his resolut ion does not m ean t hat m ilit ary act ion is im m inent or
unavoidable. The resolut ion will t ell t he Unit ed Nat ions, and all nat ions,
t hat Am erica speaks wit h one voice and is det erm ined t o m ake t he
dem ands of t he civilized world m ean som et hing. Congress will also be
sending a m essage t o t he dict at or in I raq: t hat his only chance - - his only
choice is full com pliance, and t he t im e rem aining for t hat choice is
lim it ed.
Mem bers of Congress are nearing an hist oric vot e. I 'm confident t hey will
fully consider t he fact s, and t heir dut ies.
The at t acks of Sept em ber t he 11t h show ed our count ry t hat vast oceans
no longer prot ect us from danger. Before t hat t ragic dat e, we had only
hint s of al Qaeda's plans and designs. Today in I raq, we see a t hreat
whose out lines are far m ore clearly defined, and whose consequences
could be far m ore deadly. Saddam Hussein's act ions have put us on
not ice, and t here is no refuge from our responsibilit ies.
We did not ask for t his present challenge, but we accept it . Like ot her
generat ions of Am ericans, we will m eet t he responsibilit y of defending
hum an libert y against violence and aggression. By our resolve, we will
Universitas Sumatera Utara
give st rengt h t o ot hers. By our courage, we will give hope t o ot hers. And
by our act ions, we will secure t he peace, and lead t he world t o a bet t er
day.
May God bless Am erica. ( Applause.)
Universitas Sumatera Utara
George W. Bush
War Message
Washingt on, DC
March 19, 2003
My fellow cit izens, at t his hour Am erican and coalit ion forces are in t he
early st ages of m ilit ary operat ions t o disarm I raq, t o free it s people and
t o defend t he world from grave danger.
On m y orders, coalit ion forces have begun st riking select ed t arget s of
m ilit ary im port ance t o underm ine Saddam Hussein's abilit y t o wage war.
These are opening st ages of what will be a broad and concert ed
cam paign.
More t han 35 count ries are giving crucial support , from t he use of naval
and air bases, t o help wit h int elligence and logist ics, t o t he deploym ent of
com bat unit s. Every nat ion in t his coalit ion has chosen t o bear t he dut y
and share t he honor of serving in our com m on defense.
To all of t he m en and wom en of t he Unit ed St at es arm ed forces now in
t he Middle East , t he peace of a t roubled world and t he hopes of an
oppressed people now depend on you.
That t rust is well placed.
The enem ies you confront will com e t o know your skill and bravery. The
people you liberat e will wit ness t he honorable and decent spirit of t he
Am erican m ilit ary.
I n t his conflict , Am erica faces an enem y who has no regard for
convent ions of war or rules of m oralit y. Saddam Hussein has placed I raqi
t roops and equipm ent in civilian areas, at t em pt ing t o use innocent m en,
wom en and children as shields for his own m ilit ary; a final at rocit y
against his people.
I want Am ericans and all t he world t o know t hat coalit ion forces will m ake
every effort t o spare innocent civilians from harm . A cam paign on t he
harsh t errain of a nat ion as large as California could 39 be longer and m ore
difficult t han som e predict . And helping I raqis achieve a unit ed, st able
and free count ry will require our sust ained com m it m ent .
We com e t o I raq wit h respect for it s cit izens, for t heir great civilizat ion
and for t he religious fait hs t hey pract ice. We have no am bit ion in I raq,
except t o rem ove a t hreat and rest ore cont rol of t hat count ry t o it s own
people.
I know t hat t he fam ilies of our m ilit ary are praying t hat all t hose who
serve will ret urn safely and soon.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
Million of Am ericans are praying wit h you for t he safet y of your loved
ones and for t he prot ect ion of t he innocent .
For your sacrifice, you have t he grat it ude and respect of t he Am erican
people and you can know t hat our forces will be com ing hom e as soon
as40 t heir work is done.
Our nat ion ent ers t his conflict reluct ant ly, yet our purpose is sure. The
people of t he Unit ed St at es and our friends and allies will not live at t he
m ercy of an out law regim e t hat t hreat ens t he peace wit h weapons of
m ass m urder.
We will m eet t hat t hreat now wit h our Arm y, Air Force, Navy, Coast
Guard and Marines, so t hat we do not have t o m eet it lat er wit h arm ies of
firefight ers and police and doct ors on t he st reet s of our cit ies.
Now t hat conflict has com e, t he only way t o lim it it s durat ion is t o apply
decisive force. And I assure you, t his will not be a cam paign of half
m easures and we will accept no out com e but vict ory.
My fellow cit izens, t he dangers t o our count ry and t he world will be
overcom e. We will pass t hrough t his t im e of peril and carry on t he w ork
of peace. We will defend our freedom . We will bring freedom t o ot hers.
And we will prevail.
May God bless our count ry and all who defend her.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
George W. Bush
Address One Year Aft er Operat ion I raqi Freedom
Washingt on, DC
March 19, 2004
Good m orning and t hanks for com ing. Laura and I are pleased t o
welcom e you all t o t he Whit e House. Mr. Secret ary, t hank you for being
here. Mem bers of m y Nat ional Securit y Council are here, m em bers of t he
adm inist rat ion, m em bers of our arm ed forces, m em bers of t he Unit ed
St at es Congress. Thank you for being here. Ladies and gent lem en. I
part icularly want t o t hank t he m em bers of t he Diplom at ic Corps who are
here; t hank t he am bassadors for com ing t oday.
We are represent ing 84 count ries unit ed against a com m on danger, and
j oined in a com m on purpose. We are t he nat ions t hat have recognized
t he t hreat of t errorism , and we are t he nat ions t hat will defeat t hat
t hreat . Each of us has pledged before t he world: We will never bow t o t he
violence of a few. We will face t his m ort al danger, and we will overcom e
it t oget her.
As we m eet , violence and deat h at t he hands of t errorist s are st ill fresh in
our m em ory. The people of Spain are burying t heir innocent dead. These
m en and wom en and children began t heir day in a great and peaceful
cit y, yet lost t heir lives on a bat t lefield, m urdered at random and wit hout
rem orse. Am ericans saw t he chaos and t he grief, and t he vigils and t he
funerals, and we have shared in t he sorrow of t he Spanish people.
Am bassador Ruperez, please accept our deepest sym pat hy for t he great
loss t hat your count ry has suffered.
The m urders in Madrid are a rem inder t hat t he civilized world is at war.
And in t his new kind of war, civilians find t hem selves suddenly on t he
front lines. I n recent years, t errorist s have st ruck from Spain, t o Russia,
t o I srael, t o East Africa, t o Morocco, t o t he Philippines, and t o Am erica.
They've t arget ed Arab st at es such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Yem en.
They have at t acked Muslim s in I ndonesia, Turkey, Pakist an, I raq, and
Afghanist an. No nat ion or region is exem pt from t he t errorist s' cam paign
of violence.
Each of t hese at t acks on t he innocent is a shock, and a t ragedy, and a
t est of our will. Each at t ack is designed t o dem oralize our people and
divide us from one anot her. And each at t ack m ust be answ ered, not only
wit h sorrow, but wit h great er det erm inat ion, deeper resolve, and bolder
act ion against t he killers. I t is t he int erest of every count ry, and t he dut y
of every governm ent , t o fight and dest roy t his t hreat t o our people.
There is no dividing line - - t here is a dividing line in our world, not
bet ween nat ions, and not bet ween religions or cult ures, but a dividing
line separat ing t wo visions of j ust ice and t he value of life. On a t ape
Universitas Sumatera Utara
claim ing responsibilit y for t he at rocit ies in Madrid, a m an is heard t o
say 41 , " We choose deat h, while you choose life." We don't know if t his is
t he voice of t he act ual killers, but we do know it expresses t he creed of
t he enem y. I t is a m ind set t hat rej oices in suicide, incit es m urder, and
celebrat es every deat h we m ourn. And we who st and on t he ot her side of
t he line m ust be equally clear and cert ain of our convict ions. We do love
live, t he life given t o us and t o all. We believe 42 in t he values t hat uphold
t he dignit y of life, t olerance, and freedom , and t he right of conscience.
And we know t hat t his way of life is w ort h defending. There is no neut ral
ground - - no neut ral ground - - in t he fight bet ween civilizat ion and t error,
because t here is no neut ral ground bet w een good and evil, freedom and
slavery, and life and deat h.
The war on t error is not a figure of speech. I t is an inescapable calling of
our generat ion. The t errorist s are offended not m erely by our policies - t hey are offended by our exist ence as free nat ions. No concession will
appease t heir hat red. No accom m odat ion will sat isfy t heir endless
dem ands. Their ult im at e am bit ions are t o cont rol t he peoples of t he
Middle East , and t o blackm ail t he rest of t he world w it h weapons of m ass
t error. There can be no separat e peace wit h t he t errorist enem y. Any sign
of weakness or ret reat sim ply validat es t errorist violence, and invit es
m ore violence for all nat ions. The only cert ain way t o prot ect our people
is by early, unit ed, and decisive act ion.
I n t his cont est of will and purpose, not every nat ion j oins every m ission,
or part icipat es in t he sam e way. Yet , every nat ion m akes a vit al
cont ribut ion, and Am erica is proud t o st and wit h all of you as w e pursue a
broad st rat egy in t he war against t error.
We are using every t ool of finance, int elligence, law enforcem ent and
m ilit ary power t o break t error net works, t o deny t hem refuge, and t o find
t heir leaders. Over t he past 30 m ont hs, we have frozen or seized nearly
$200 m illion in asset s of t error net works. We have capt ured or killed
som e t w o- t hirds of al Qaeda's known leaders, as well as m any of al
Qaeda's associat es count ries like t he Unit ed St at es, or Germ any, or
Pakist an, or Saudi Arabia, or Thailand. We are t aking t he fight t o al
Qaeda allies, such as Ansar - al- I slam in I raq, Jem aah I slam iya in
I ndonesia, and Sout heast Asia. Our coalit ion is sending an unm ist akable
m essage t o t he t errorist s, including t hose who st ruck in Madrid: These
killers will be t racked down and found, t hey will face t heir day of j ust ice.
Our coalit ion is t aking urgent act ion t o st op t he t ransfer of deadly weapon
and m at erials. Am erica and t he nat ions of Aust ralia, and France, and
Germ any, and I t aly, and Japan, and t he Net herlands, Poland, Port ugal,
Spain, t he Unit ed Kingdom , Canada, Singapore, and Norway have j oined
in t he Proliferat ion Securit y I nit iat ive all aim ed t o bind t oget her, t o
int erdict let hal m at erials t ransport ed by air or sea or land. Many
governm ent s have cooperat ed t o expose and dism ant le t he net work of
A.Q. Khan, which sold nuclear secret s t o Libya, I ran and Nort h Korea. By
all t hese effort s, we are det erm ined t o prevent cat ast rophic t echnologies
from falling int o t he hands of an em bit t ered few.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
Our coalit ion is also confront ing t he dangerous com binat ion of out law
st at es, t errorist groups, and weapons of m ass dest ruct ion. For years, t he
Taliban m ade Afghanist an t he hom e base of al Qaeda. And so we gav e
t he Taliban a choice: t o abandon forever t heir support for t error, or face
t he dest ruct ion of t heir regim e. Because t he Taliban chose defiance, our
coalit ion act ed t o rem ove t his t hreat . And now t he t error cam ps are
closed, and t he governm ent of a free Afghanist an is represent ed here
t oday as an act ive part ner in t he war on t error.
The people of Afghanist an are a world away from t he night m are of t he
Taliban. Cit izens of Afghanist an have adopt ed a new const it ut ion,
guarant eeing free elect ions and full part icipat ion by wom en. The new
Afghan arm y is becom ing a vit al force of st abilit y in t hat count ry.
Businesses are opening, healt h care cent ers are being est ablished, and
t he children of Afghanist an are back in school, boys and girls.
This progress is a t ribut e t o t he brave Afghan people, and t o t he effort s
of m any nat ions. NATO - - including forces from Canada, France,
Germ any, and ot her nat ions - - is leading t he effort t o provide securit y.
Japan and Saudi Arabia have helped t o com plet e t he highway from Kabul
t o Kandahar, which is furt hering com m erce and unifying t he count ry.
I t aly is working wit h Afghans t o reform t heir legal syst em , and
st rengt hening an independent j udiciary. Three years ago, t he people of
Afghanist an were oppressed and isolat ed from t he world by a t errorist
regim e. Today, t hat nat ion has a dem ocrat ic governm ent and m any allies
- - and all of us are proud t o be friends of t he Afghan people.
Many count ries represent ed here t oday also act ed t o liberat e t he people
of I raq. One year ago, m ilit ary forces of a st rong coalit ion ent ered I raq t o
enforce Unit ed Nat ions dem ands, t o defend our securit y, and t o liberat e
t hat count ry from t he rule of a t yrant . For I raq, it was a day of
deliverance. For t he nat ions of our coalit ion, it was t he m om ent when
years of dem ands and pledges t urned t o decisive act ion. Today, as I raqis
j oin t he free peoples of t he world, we m ark a t urning point for t he Middle
East , and a crucial advance for hum an libert y.
There have been disagreem ent s in t his m at t er, am ong old and valued
friends. Those differences belong t o t he past . All of us can now agree t hat
t he fall of t he I raqi dict at or has rem oved a source of violence,
aggression, and inst abilit y in t he Middle East . I t 's a good t hing t hat t he
dem ands of t he Unit ed Nat ions were enforced, not ignored wit h im punit y.
I t is a good t hing t hat years of illicit weapons developm ent by t he
dict at or have com e t o t he end. I t is a good t hing t hat t he I raqi people are
now receiving aid, inst ead of suffering under sanct ions. And it is a good
t hing t hat t he m en and wom en across t he Middle East , looking t o I raq,
are get t ing a glim pse of what life in a free count ry can be like.
There are st ill violent t hugs and m urderers in I raq, and we're dealing wit h
t hem . But no one 43 can argue t hat t he I raqi people would be bet t er off
wit h t he t hugs and m urderers back in t he palaces. Who would prefer t hat
Saddam 's t ort ure cham bers st ill be open? Who would wish t hat m ore
Universitas Sumatera Utara
m ass graves were st ill being filled? Who would begrudge t he I raqi people
t heir long- await ed liberat ion? On year aft er t he arm ies of liberat ion
arrived, every soldier who has fought , every aid worker who has served,
every I raqi who has j oined in t heir count ry's defense can look w it h pride
on a brave and hist oric achievem ent . They've served freedom 's cause,
and t hat is a privilege.
Today in I raq, a Brit ish- led division is securing t he sout hern cit y of Basra.
Poland cont inues t o lead a m ult inat ional division in sout h- cent ral I raq.
Japan and t he Republic of Korea - - of Sout h Korea have m ade hist oric
com m it m ent s of t roops t o help bring peace t o I raq. Special forces from El
Salvador, Macedonia, and ot her nat ions are helping t o find and defeat
Baat hist and t errorist killers. Milit ary engineers from Kazakhst an have
cleared m ore t han a half a m illion explosive devices from I raq. Turkey is
helping t o resupply coalit ion forces. All of t hese nat ions, and m any
ot hers, are m eet ing t heir responsibilit ies t o t he people of I raq.
What ever t heir past views, every nat ion now has an int erest in a free,
successful, st able I raq. And t he t errorist s underst and t heir ow n int erest
in t he fat e of t hat count ry. For t hem , t he connect ion bet w een I raq's
fut ure and t he course of t he w ar on t error is very clear. They underst and
t hat a free I raq will be a devast at ing set back t o t heir am bit ions of
t yranny over t he Middle East . And t hey have m ade t he failure of
dem ocracy in I raq one of t heir prim ary obj ect ives.
By at t acking coalit ion forces - - by t arget ing innocent I raqis and foreign
civilians for m urder - - t he t errorist s are t rying t o weaken our will. I nst ead
of weakness, t hey're finding resolve. Not long ago, we int ercept ed a
planning docum ent being sent t o leaders of al Qaeda by one of t heir
associat es, a m an nam ed Zarqawi. Along wit h t he usual t hreat s, he had a
com plaint : " Our enem y," said Zarqawi, " is growing st ronger and his
int elligence dat a are increasing day by day - - t his is suffocat ion." Zarqaw i
is get t ing t he idea. We will never t urn over I raq t o t errorist s who int end
our own dest ruct ion. We will not fail t he I raqi people, who have placed
t heir t rust in us. What ever it t akes, we will fight and work t o assure t he
success of freedom in I raq.
Many coalit ion count ries have sacrificed in bot h I raq and Afghanist an.
Am ong t he fallen soldiers and civilians are sons and daught ers of
Aust ralia, Bulgaria, Canada, Denm ark, Est onia, France, Germ any, I ndia,
I t aly, Japan, t he Republic of Korea, t he Net herlands, Poland, Rom ania,
Spain, Swit zerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekist an, t he Unit ed
Kingdom , and t he Unit ed St at es. We honor t heir courage, we pray for t he
com fort of t heir fam ilies. We will uphold t he cause t hey served.
The rise of dem ocrat ic inst it ut ions in Afghanist an and I raq is a great st ep
t oward a goal of last ing im port ance t o t he world. We have set out t o
encourage reform and dem ocracy in t he great er Middle East as t he
alt ernat ives t o fanat icism , resent m ent , and t error. We've set out t o break
t he cycle of bit t erness and radicalism t hat has brought st agnat ion t o a
vit al region, and dest ruct ion t o cit ies in Am erica and Europe and around
Universitas Sumatera Utara
t he world. This t ask is hist oric, and difficult ; t his t ask is necessary and
wort hy of our effort s.
I n t he 1970s, t he advance of dem ocracy in Lisbon and Madrid inspired
dem ocrat ic change in Lat in Am erica. I n t he 1980s, t he exam ple of Poland
ignit ed a fire of freedom in all of East ern Europe. Wit h Afghanist an and
I raq showing t he way, we are confident t hat freedom will lift t he sight s
and hopes of m illions in t he great er Middle East .
One m an who believed in our cause was a Japanese diplom at nam ed
Kat suhiko Oku. He w orked for t he Coalit ion Provision Aut horit y in I raq.
Mr. Oku w as killed when his car was am bushed. I n his diary he described
his pride in t he cause he had j oined. " The free people of I raq," he wrot e,
" are now m aking st eady progress in reconst ruct ing t heir count ry - - while
also fight ing against t he t hreat of t errorism . We m ust j oin hands wit h t he
I raqi people in t heir effort t o prevent I raq from falling int o t he hands of
t errorist s." This good, decent m an concluded, " This is also our fight t o
defend freedom ."
Ladies and gent lem en, t his good m an from Japan was right . The
est ablishm ent of a free I raq is our fight . The success of a free
Afghanist an is our fight . The war on t error is our fight . All of us are called
t o share t he blessings of libert y, and t o be st rong and st eady in
freedom 's defense. I t will surely be said of our t im es t hat we lived wit h
great challenges. Let it also be said of our t im es t hat we underst ood our
great dut ies, and m et t hem in full.
May God bless our effort s. ( Applause.)
Universitas Sumatera Utara
George W. Bush
The I raqi Threat
Cincinnat i, OH
Oct ober 7, 2002
Thank you all. Thank you for t hat very gracious and warm Cincinnat i
welcom e. I 'm honored t o be here t onight ; I appreciat e you all com ing.
Tonight I want t o t ake a few m inut es t o discuss a grave t hreat t o peace,
and Am erica's det erm inat ion t o lead t he world in confront ing t hat t hreat .
The t hreat com es from I raq. I t arises direct ly from t he I raqi regim e's ow n
act ions - - it s hist ory of aggression, and it s drive t oward an arsenal of
t error. Eleven years ago, as a condit ion for ending t he Persian Gulf War,
t he I raqi regim e was required t o dest roy it s weapons of m ass
dest ruct ion, t o cease all developm ent of such w eapons, and t o st op all
support for t errorist groups. The I raqi regim e has violat ed all of t hose
obligat ions. I t possesses and produces chem ical and biological weapons.
I t is seeking nuclear weapons. I t has given shelt er and support t o
t errorism , and pract ices t error against it s own people. The ent ire world
has wit nessed I raq's eleven- year hist ory of defiance, decept ion and bad
fait h.
We also m ust never forget t he m ost vivid event s of recent hist ory. On
Sept em ber t he 11t h, 2001, Am erica felt it s vulnerabilit y - - even t o
t hreat s t hat gat her on t he ot her side of t he eart h. We resolved t hen, and
we are resolved t oday, t o confront every t hreat , from any source, t hat
could 1 bring sudden t error and suffering t o Am erica.
Mem bers of t he Congress of bot h polit ical part ies, and m em bers of t he
Unit ed Nat ions Securit y Council, agree t hat Saddam Hussein is a t hreat t o
peace and m ust disarm . We agree t hat t he I raqi dict at or m ust not be
perm it t ed t o t hreat en Am erica and t he world wit h horrible poisons and
diseases and gases and at om ic weapons. Since we all agree on t his goal,
t he issues is : how can we best achieve it ?
Many Am ericans have raised legit im at e quest ions: about t he nat ure of
t he t hreat ; about t he urgency of act ion - - why be concerned now; about
t he link bet ween I raq developing weapons of t error, and t he wider war on
t error. These are all issues we've discussed broadly and fully wit hin m y
adm inist rat ion. And t onight , I want t o share t hose discussions w it h you.
First , som e 2 ask why I raq is different from ot her count ries or regim es
t hat also have t errible weapons. While 3 t here are m any dangers in t he
world, t he t hreat from I raq st ands alone - - because it gat hers t he m ost
serious dangers of our age in one place. I raq's weapons of m ass
dest ruct ion are cont rolled by a m urderous t yrant who has already used
Universitas Sumatera Utara
chem ical weapons t o kill t housands of people. This sam e t yrant has t ried
t o dom inat e t he Middle East , has invaded and brut ally occupied a sm all
neighbor, has st ruck ot her nat ions wit hout warning, and holds an
unrelent ing host ilit y t oward t he Unit ed St at es.
By it s past and present act ions, by it s t echnological capabilit ies, by t he
m erciless nat ure of it s regim e, I raq is unique. As a form er chief weapons
inspect or of t he U.N. has said, " The fundam ent al problem wit h I raq
rem ains t he nat ure of t he regim e, it self. Saddam Hussein is a hom icidal
dict at or w ho is addict ed t o weapons of m ass dest ruct ion."
Som e 4 ask how urgent t his danger is t o Am erica and t he world. The
danger is already significant , and it only grows w orse wit h t im e. I f 5 we
know Saddam Hussein has dangerous weapons t oday - - and we do - does it m ake any sense for t he world t o w ait t o confront him as he grow s
even st ronger and develops even m ore dangerous w eapons?
I n 1995, aft er several years of deceit by t he I raqi regim e, t he head of
I raq's m ilit ary indust ries defect ed. I t was t hen t hat t he regim e was forced
t o adm it t hat it had produced m ore t han 30,000 lit ers of ant hrax and
ot her deadly biological agent s. The inspect ors, however, concluded t hat
I raq had likely 6 produced t wo t o four t im es t hat am ount . This is a
m assive st ockpile of biological weapons t hat has never been account ed
for, and capable of killing m illions.
We know t hat t he regim e has produced t housands of t ons of chem ical
agent s, including m ust ard gas, sarin nerve gas, VX nerve gas. Saddam
Hussein also has experience in using chem ical weapons. He has ordered
chem ical at t acks on I ran, and on m ore t han fort y villages in his own
count ry. These act ions killed or inj ured at least 20,000 people, m ore t han
six t im es t he num ber of people who died in t he at t acks of Sept em ber t he
11t h.
And surveillance phot os reveal t hat t he regim e is rebuilding facilit ies t hat
it had used t o produce chem ical and biological weapons. Every chem ical
and biological weapon t hat I raq has or m akes is a direct violat ion of t he
t ruce t hat ended t he Persian Gulf War in 1991. Yet , Saddam Hussein has
chosen t o build and keep t hese weapons despit e int ernat ional sanct ions,
U.N. dem ands, and isolat ion from t he civilized world.
I raq possesses ballist ic m issiles wit h a likely 7 range of hundreds of m iles - far enough t o st rike Saudi Arabia, I srael, Turkey, and ot her nat ions - - in
a region where m ore t han 135,000 Am erican civilians and service
m em bers live and w ork. We've also discovered t hrough int elligence t hat
I raq has a growing fleet of m anned and unm anned aerial vehicles t hat
could 8 be used t o disperse chem ical or biological weapons across broad
areas. We're concerned t hat I raq is exploring ways of using t hese UAVS
for m issions t arget ing t he Unit ed St at es. And, of course, sophist icat ed
delivery syst em s aren't required for a chem ical or biological at t ack; all
t hat m ight 9 be required are a sm all cont ainer and one t errorist or I raqi
int elligence operat ive t o deliver it .
Universitas Sumatera Utara
And t hat is t he source of our urgent concern about Saddam Hussein's
links t o int ernat ional t errorist groups. Over t he years, I raq has provided
safe haven t o t errorist s such as Abu Nidal, whose t error organizat ion
carried out m ore t han 90 t errorist at t acks in 20 count ries t hat killed or
inj ured nearly 900 people, including 12 Am ericans. I raq has also provided
safe haven t o Abu Abbas, who was responsible for seizing t he Achille
Lauro and killing an Am erican passenger. And w e know t hat I raq is
cont inuing t o finance t error and gives assist ance t o groups t hat use
t errorism t o underm ine Middle East peace.
We know t hat I raq and t he al Qaeda t errorist net w ork share a com m on
enem y - - t he Unit ed St at es of Am erica. We know t hat I raq and al Qaeda
have had high- level cont act s t hat go back a decade. Som e al Qaeda
leaders who fled Afghanist an went t o I raq. These include one very senior
al Qaeda leader who received m edical t reat m ent in Baghdad t his year,
and who has been associat ed wit h planning for chem ical and biological
at t acks. We've learned t hat I raq has t rained al Qaeda m em bers in bom bm aking and poisons and deadly gases. And we know t hat aft er
Sept em ber t he 11t h, Saddam Hussein's regim e gleefully celebrat ed t he
t errorist at t acks on Am erica.
I raq could 10 decide on any given day t o provide a biological or chem ical
weapon t o a t errorist group or individual t errorist s. Alliance wit h t errorist s
could 11 allow t he I raqi regim e t o at t ack Am erica wit hout leaving any
fingerprint s.
Som e 12 have argued t hat confront ing t he t hreat from I raq could 13 det ract
from t he war against t error. To t he cont rary; confront ing t he t hreat
posed by I raq is crucial t o winning t he war on t error. When I spoke t o
Congress m ore t han a year ago, I said t hat t hose who harbor t errorist s
are as guilt y as t he t errorist s t hem selves. Saddam Hussein is harboring
t errorist s and t he inst rum ent s of t error, t he inst rum ent s of m ass deat h
and dest ruct ion. And he cannot be t rust ed. The risk is sim ply t oo great
t hat he will use t hem , or provide t hem t o a t error net work.
Terror cells and out law regim es building weapons of m ass dest ruct ion are
different faces of t he sam e evil. Our securit y requires t hat w e confront
bot h. And t he Unit ed St at es m ilit ary is capable of confront ing bot h.
Many people have asked how close Saddam Hussein is t o developing a
nuclear weapon. Well, we don't know exact ly, and t hat 's t he problem .
Before t he Gulf War, t he best int elligence indicat ed t hat I raq w as eight t o
t en years away from developing a nuclear weapon. Aft er t he war,
int ernat ional inspect ors learned t hat t he regim e has been m uch closer - t he regim e in I raq would likely have possessed a nuclear weapon no lat er
t han 1993. The inspect ors discovered t hat I raq had an advanced nuclear
weapons developm ent program , had a design for a workable nuclear
weapon, and was pursuing several different m et hods of enriching
uranium for a bom b.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
Before being barred from I raq in 1998, t he I nt ernat ional At om ic Energy
Agency dism ant led ext ensive nuclear weapons- relat ed facilit ies, including
t hree uranium enrichm ent sit es. That sam e year, inform at ion from a
high- ranking I raqi nuclear engineer who had defect ed revealed t hat
despit e his public prom ises, Saddam Hussein had ordered his nuclear
program t o cont inue.
The evidence indicat es t hat I raq is reconst it ut ing it s nuclear weapons
program . Saddam Hussein has held num erous m eet ings wit h I raqi
nuclear scient ist s, a group he calls his " nuclear m uj ahideen" - - his
nuclear holy warriors. Sat ellit e phot ographs reveal t hat I raq is rebuilding
facilit ies at sit es t hat have been part of it s nuclear program in t he past .
I raq has at t em pt ed t o purchase high- st rengt h alum inum t ubes and ot her
equipm ent needed for gas cent rifuges, which are used t o enrich uranium
for nuclear weapons.
I f 14 t he I raqi regim e is able t o produce, buy, or st eal an am ount of highly
enriched uranium a lit t le larger t han a single soft ball, it could have a
nuclear weapon in less t han a year. And if 15 we allow t hat t o happen, a
t errible line would be crossed. Saddam Hussein would 16 be in a posit ion
t o blackm ail anyone who opposes his aggression. He would 17 be in a
posit ion t o dom inat e t he Middle East . He would 18 be in a posit ion t o
t hreat en Am erica. And Saddam Hussein would 19 be in a posit ion t o pass
nuclear t echnology t o t errorist s.
Som e cit izens wonder, aft er 11 years of living wit h t his problem , why do
we need t o confront it now? And t here's a reason. We've experienced t he
horror of Sept em ber t he 11t h. We have seen t hat t hose who hat e
Am erica are willing t o crash airplanes int o buildings full of innocent
people. Our enem ies would 20 be no less willing, in fact , t hey would be
eager, t o use biological or chem ical, or a nuclear weapon.
Knowing t hese realit ies, Am erica m ust not ignore t he t hreat gat hering
against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for t he final
proof - - t he sm oking gun - - t hat could 21 com e in t he form of a m ushroom
cloud. As President Kennedy said in Oct ober of 1962, " Neit her t he Unit ed
St at es of Am erica, nor t he w orld com m unit y of nat ions can t olerat e
deliberat e decept ion and offensive t hreat s on t he part of any nat ion,
large or sm all. We no longer live in a world," he said, " where only t he
act ual firing of weapons represent s a sufficient challenge t o a nat ions
securit y t o const it ut e m axim um peril."
Underst anding t he t hreat s of our t im e, know ing t he designs and
decept ions of t he I raqi regim e, we have every reason t o assum e t he
worst , and we have an urgent dut y t o prevent t he worst from occurring.
Som e 22 believe we can address t his danger by sim ply resum ing t he old
approach t o inspect ions, and applying diplom at ic and econom ic pressure.
Yet t his is precisely what t he world has t ried t o do since 1991. The U.N.
inspect ions program was m et w it h syst em at ic decept ion. The I raqi regim e
bugged hot el room s and offices of inspect ors t o find where t hey were
Universitas Sumatera Utara
going next ; t hey forged docum ent s, dest royed evidence, and developed
m obile weapons facilit ies t o keep a st ep ahead of inspect ors. Eight socalled president ial palaces were declared off- lim it s t o unfet t ered
inspect ions. These sit es act ually encom pass t w elve square m iles, wit h
hundreds of st ruct ures, bot h above and below t he ground, where
sensit ive m at erials could be hiden.”
The world has also t ried econom ic sanct ions - - and wat ched I raq use
billions of dollars in illegal oil revenues t o fund m ore weapons purchases,
rat her t han providing for t he needs of t he I raqi people.
The world has t ried lim it ed m ilit ary st rikes t o dest roy I raq's w eapons of
m ass dest ruct ion capabilit ies - - only t o see t hem openly rebuilt , while t he
regim e again denies t hey even exist .
The world has t ried no- fly zones t o keep Saddam from t errorizing his own
people - - and in t he last year alone, t he I raqi m ilit ary has fired upon
Am erican and Brit ish pilot s m ore t han 750 t im es.
Aft er eleven years during
inspect ions, even select ed
Hussein st ill has chem ical
capabilit ies t o m ake m ore.
nuclear weapon.
which we have t ried cont ainm ent , sanct ions,
m ilit ary act ion, t he end result is t hat Saddam
and biological weapons and is increasing his
And he is m oving ever closer t o developing a
Clearly, t o act ually work, any new inspect ions, sanct ions or enforcem ent
m echanism s will have t o be very different . Am erica want s t he U.N. t o be
an effect ive organizat ion t hat helps keep t he peace. And t hat is why we
are urging t he Securit y Council t o adopt a new resolut ion set t ing out
t ough, im m ediat e requirem ent s. Am ong t hose requirem ent s: t he I raqi
regim e m ust reveal and dest roy, under U.N. supervision, all exist ing
weapons of m ass dest ruct ion. To ensure t hat we learn t he t rut h, t he
regim e m ust allow wit nesses t o it s illegal act ivit ies t o be int erviewed
out side t he count ry - - and t hese wit nesses m ust be free t o bring t heir
fam ilies wit h t hem so t hey all beyond t he reach of Saddam Hussein's
t error and m urder. And inspect ors m ust have access t o any sit e, at any
t im e, wit hout pre- clearance, wit hout delay, wit hout except ions.
The t im e for denying, deceiving, and delaying has com e t o an end.
Saddam Hussein m ust disarm him self - - or, for t he sake of peace, we will
lead a coalit ion t o disarm him .
Many nat ions are j oining us in insist ing t hat Saddam Hussein's regim e be
held account able. They are com m it t ed t o defending t he int ernat ional
securit y t hat prot ect s t he lives of bot h our cit izens and t heirs. And t hat 's
why Am erica is challenging all nat ions t o t ake t he resolut ions of t he U.N.
Securit y Council seriously.
And t hese resolut ions are clear. I n addit ion t o declaring and dest roying
all of it s weapons of m ass dest ruct ion, I raq m ust end it s support for
Universitas Sumatera Utara
t errorism . I t m ust cease t he persecut ion of it s civilian populat ion. I t m ust
st op all illicit t rade out side t he Oil For Food program . I t m ust release or
account for all Gulf War personnel, including an Am erican pilot , whose
fat e is st ill unknown.
By t aking t hese st eps, and by only t aking t hese st eps, t he I raqi regim e
has an opport unit y t o avoid conflict . Taking t hese st eps would 23 also
change t he nat ure of t he I raqi regim e it self. Am erica hopes t he regim e
will m ake t hat choice. Unfort unat ely, at least so far, we have lit t le reason
t o expect it . And t hat 's why t wo adm inist rat ions - - m ine and President
Clint on's - - have st at ed t hat regim e change in I raq is t he only cert ain
m eans of rem oving a great danger t o our nat ion.
I hope t his will not require m ilit ary act ion, but it m ay. And m ilit ary
conflict could 24 be difficult . An I raqi regim e faced wit h it s own dem ise
m ay at t em pt cruel and desperat e m easures. I f 25 Saddam Hussein orders
such m easures, his generals would be well advised t o refuse t hose
orders. I f 26 t hey do not refuse, t hey m ust underst and t hat all war
crim inals will be pursued and punished. I f 27 we have t o act , we will t ake
every precaut ion t hat is possible. We will plan carefully; we w ill act wit h
t he full power of t he Unit ed St at es m ilit ary; we will act wit h allies at our
side, and we will prevail. ( Applause.)
There is no easy or risk- free course of act ion. Som e 28 have argued we
should wait - - and t hat 's an opt ion. I n m y view, it 's t he riskiest of all
opt ions, because t he longer we wait , t he st ronger and bolder Saddam
Hussein will becom e. We could 29 wait and hope t hat Saddam does not
give weapons t o t errorist s, or develop a nuclear weapon t o blackm ail t he
world. But I 'm convinced t hat is a hope against all evidence. As
Am ericans, we want peace - - w e work and sacrifice for peace. But t here
can be no peace if our securit y depends on t he will and whim s of a
rut hless and aggressive dict at or. I 'm not willing t o st ake one Am erican
life on t rust ing Saddam Hussein.
Failure t o act would 30 em bolden ot her t yrant s, allow t errorist s access t o
new weapons and new resources, and m ake blackm ail a perm anent
feat ure of world event s. The Unit ed Nat ions would 31 bet ray t he purpose of
it s founding, and prove irrelevant t o t he problem s of our t im e. And
t hrough it s inact ion, t he Unit ed St at es would 32 resign it self t o a fut ure of
fear.
That is not t he Am erica I know. That is not t he Am erica I serve. We
refuse t o live in fear. ( Applause.) This nat ion, in world war and in Cold
War, has never perm it t ed t he brut al and lawless t o set hist ory's course.
Now, as before, we will secure our nat ion, prot ect our freedom , and help
ot hers t o find freedom of t heir own.
Som e 33 w orry t hat a change of leadership in I raq could creat e inst abilit y
and m ake t he sit uat ion worse. The sit uat ion could 34 hardly get worse, for
world securit y and for t he people of I raq. The lives of I raqi cit izens would
im prove dram at ically if 35 Saddam Hussein were no longer in power, j ust
Universitas Sumatera Utara
as t he lives of Afghanist an's cit izens im proved aft er t he Taliban. The
dict at or of I raq is a st udent of St alin, using m urder as a t ool of t error and
cont rol, wit hin his own cabinet , wit hin his own arm y, and even wit hin his
own fam ily.
On Saddam Hussein's orders, opponent s have been decapit at ed, wives
and m ot hers of polit ical opponent s have been syst em at ically raped as a
m et hod of int im idat ion, and polit ical prisoners have been forced t o wat ch
t heir own children being t ort ured.
Am erica believes36 t hat all people are ent it led t o hope and hum an right s,
t o t he non- negot iable dem ands of hum an dignit y. People everywhere
prefer freedom t o slavery; prosperit y t o squalor; self- governm ent t o t he
rule of t error and t ort ure. Am erica is a friend t o t he people of I raq. Our
dem ands are direct ed only at t he regim e t hat enslaves t hem and
t hreat ens us. When t hese dem ands are m et , t he first and great est benefit
will com e t o I raqi m en, wom en and children. The oppression of Kurds,
Assyrians, Turkom ans, Shi'a, Sunnis and ot hers will be lift ed. The long
capt ivit y of I raq will end, and an era of new hope will begin.
I raq is a land rich in cult ure, resources, and t alent . Freed from t he weight
of oppression, I raq's people will be able t o share in t he progress and
prosperit y of our t im e. I f 37 m ilit ary act ion is necessary, t he Unit ed St at es
and our allies will help t he I raqi people rebuild t heir econom y, and creat e
t he inst it ut ions of libert y in a unified I raq at peace wit h it s neighbors.
Lat er t his week, t he Unit ed St at es Congress will vot e on t his m at t er. I
have asked Congress t o aut horize t he use of Am erica's m ilit ary, if 38 it
proves necessary, t o enforce U.N. Securit y Council dem ands. Approving
t his resolut ion does not m ean t hat m ilit ary act ion is im m inent or
unavoidable. The resolut ion will t ell t he Unit ed Nat ions, and all nat ions,
t hat Am erica speaks wit h one voice and is det erm ined t o m ake t he
dem ands of t he civilized world m ean som et hing. Congress will also be
sending a m essage t o t he dict at or in I raq: t hat his only chance - - his only
choice is full com pliance, and t he t im e rem aining for t hat choice is
lim it ed.
Mem bers of Congress are nearing an hist oric vot e. I 'm confident t hey will
fully consider t he fact s, and t heir dut ies.
The at t acks of Sept em ber t he 11t h show ed our count ry t hat vast oceans
no longer prot ect us from danger. Before t hat t ragic dat e, we had only
hint s of al Qaeda's plans and designs. Today in I raq, we see a t hreat
whose out lines are far m ore clearly defined, and whose consequences
could be far m ore deadly. Saddam Hussein's act ions have put us on
not ice, and t here is no refuge from our responsibilit ies.
We did not ask for t his present challenge, but we accept it . Like ot her
generat ions of Am ericans, we will m eet t he responsibilit y of defending
hum an libert y against violence and aggression. By our resolve, we will
Universitas Sumatera Utara
give st rengt h t o ot hers. By our courage, we will give hope t o ot hers. And
by our act ions, we will secure t he peace, and lead t he world t o a bet t er
day.
May God bless Am erica. ( Applause.)
Universitas Sumatera Utara
George W. Bush
War Message
Washingt on, DC
March 19, 2003
My fellow cit izens, at t his hour Am erican and coalit ion forces are in t he
early st ages of m ilit ary operat ions t o disarm I raq, t o free it s people and
t o defend t he world from grave danger.
On m y orders, coalit ion forces have begun st riking select ed t arget s of
m ilit ary im port ance t o underm ine Saddam Hussein's abilit y t o wage war.
These are opening st ages of what will be a broad and concert ed
cam paign.
More t han 35 count ries are giving crucial support , from t he use of naval
and air bases, t o help wit h int elligence and logist ics, t o t he deploym ent of
com bat unit s. Every nat ion in t his coalit ion has chosen t o bear t he dut y
and share t he honor of serving in our com m on defense.
To all of t he m en and wom en of t he Unit ed St at es arm ed forces now in
t he Middle East , t he peace of a t roubled world and t he hopes of an
oppressed people now depend on you.
That t rust is well placed.
The enem ies you confront will com e t o know your skill and bravery. The
people you liberat e will wit ness t he honorable and decent spirit of t he
Am erican m ilit ary.
I n t his conflict , Am erica faces an enem y who has no regard for
convent ions of war or rules of m oralit y. Saddam Hussein has placed I raqi
t roops and equipm ent in civilian areas, at t em pt ing t o use innocent m en,
wom en and children as shields for his own m ilit ary; a final at rocit y
against his people.
I want Am ericans and all t he world t o know t hat coalit ion forces will m ake
every effort t o spare innocent civilians from harm . A cam paign on t he
harsh t errain of a nat ion as large as California could 39 be longer and m ore
difficult t han som e predict . And helping I raqis achieve a unit ed, st able
and free count ry will require our sust ained com m it m ent .
We com e t o I raq wit h respect for it s cit izens, for t heir great civilizat ion
and for t he religious fait hs t hey pract ice. We have no am bit ion in I raq,
except t o rem ove a t hreat and rest ore cont rol of t hat count ry t o it s own
people.
I know t hat t he fam ilies of our m ilit ary are praying t hat all t hose who
serve will ret urn safely and soon.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
Million of Am ericans are praying wit h you for t he safet y of your loved
ones and for t he prot ect ion of t he innocent .
For your sacrifice, you have t he grat it ude and respect of t he Am erican
people and you can know t hat our forces will be com ing hom e as soon
as40 t heir work is done.
Our nat ion ent ers t his conflict reluct ant ly, yet our purpose is sure. The
people of t he Unit ed St at es and our friends and allies will not live at t he
m ercy of an out law regim e t hat t hreat ens t he peace wit h weapons of
m ass m urder.
We will m eet t hat t hreat now wit h our Arm y, Air Force, Navy, Coast
Guard and Marines, so t hat we do not have t o m eet it lat er wit h arm ies of
firefight ers and police and doct ors on t he st reet s of our cit ies.
Now t hat conflict has com e, t he only way t o lim it it s durat ion is t o apply
decisive force. And I assure you, t his will not be a cam paign of half
m easures and we will accept no out com e but vict ory.
My fellow cit izens, t he dangers t o our count ry and t he world will be
overcom e. We will pass t hrough t his t im e of peril and carry on t he w ork
of peace. We will defend our freedom . We will bring freedom t o ot hers.
And we will prevail.
May God bless our count ry and all who defend her.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
George W. Bush
Address One Year Aft er Operat ion I raqi Freedom
Washingt on, DC
March 19, 2004
Good m orning and t hanks for com ing. Laura and I are pleased t o
welcom e you all t o t he Whit e House. Mr. Secret ary, t hank you for being
here. Mem bers of m y Nat ional Securit y Council are here, m em bers of t he
adm inist rat ion, m em bers of our arm ed forces, m em bers of t he Unit ed
St at es Congress. Thank you for being here. Ladies and gent lem en. I
part icularly want t o t hank t he m em bers of t he Diplom at ic Corps who are
here; t hank t he am bassadors for com ing t oday.
We are represent ing 84 count ries unit ed against a com m on danger, and
j oined in a com m on purpose. We are t he nat ions t hat have recognized
t he t hreat of t errorism , and we are t he nat ions t hat will defeat t hat
t hreat . Each of us has pledged before t he world: We will never bow t o t he
violence of a few. We will face t his m ort al danger, and we will overcom e
it t oget her.
As we m eet , violence and deat h at t he hands of t errorist s are st ill fresh in
our m em ory. The people of Spain are burying t heir innocent dead. These
m en and wom en and children began t heir day in a great and peaceful
cit y, yet lost t heir lives on a bat t lefield, m urdered at random and wit hout
rem orse. Am ericans saw t he chaos and t he grief, and t he vigils and t he
funerals, and we have shared in t he sorrow of t he Spanish people.
Am bassador Ruperez, please accept our deepest sym pat hy for t he great
loss t hat your count ry has suffered.
The m urders in Madrid are a rem inder t hat t he civilized world is at war.
And in t his new kind of war, civilians find t hem selves suddenly on t he
front lines. I n recent years, t errorist s have st ruck from Spain, t o Russia,
t o I srael, t o East Africa, t o Morocco, t o t he Philippines, and t o Am erica.
They've t arget ed Arab st at es such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Yem en.
They have at t acked Muslim s in I ndonesia, Turkey, Pakist an, I raq, and
Afghanist an. No nat ion or region is exem pt from t he t errorist s' cam paign
of violence.
Each of t hese at t acks on t he innocent is a shock, and a t ragedy, and a
t est of our will. Each at t ack is designed t o dem oralize our people and
divide us from one anot her. And each at t ack m ust be answ ered, not only
wit h sorrow, but wit h great er det erm inat ion, deeper resolve, and bolder
act ion against t he killers. I t is t he int erest of every count ry, and t he dut y
of every governm ent , t o fight and dest roy t his t hreat t o our people.
There is no dividing line - - t here is a dividing line in our world, not
bet ween nat ions, and not bet ween religions or cult ures, but a dividing
line separat ing t wo visions of j ust ice and t he value of life. On a t ape
Universitas Sumatera Utara
claim ing responsibilit y for t he at rocit ies in Madrid, a m an is heard t o
say 41 , " We choose deat h, while you choose life." We don't know if t his is
t he voice of t he act ual killers, but we do know it expresses t he creed of
t he enem y. I t is a m ind set t hat rej oices in suicide, incit es m urder, and
celebrat es every deat h we m ourn. And we who st and on t he ot her side of
t he line m ust be equally clear and cert ain of our convict ions. We do love
live, t he life given t o us and t o all. We believe 42 in t he values t hat uphold
t he dignit y of life, t olerance, and freedom , and t he right of conscience.
And we know t hat t his way of life is w ort h defending. There is no neut ral
ground - - no neut ral ground - - in t he fight bet ween civilizat ion and t error,
because t here is no neut ral ground bet w een good and evil, freedom and
slavery, and life and deat h.
The war on t error is not a figure of speech. I t is an inescapable calling of
our generat ion. The t errorist s are offended not m erely by our policies - t hey are offended by our exist ence as free nat ions. No concession will
appease t heir hat red. No accom m odat ion will sat isfy t heir endless
dem ands. Their ult im at e am bit ions are t o cont rol t he peoples of t he
Middle East , and t o blackm ail t he rest of t he world w it h weapons of m ass
t error. There can be no separat e peace wit h t he t errorist enem y. Any sign
of weakness or ret reat sim ply validat es t errorist violence, and invit es
m ore violence for all nat ions. The only cert ain way t o prot ect our people
is by early, unit ed, and decisive act ion.
I n t his cont est of will and purpose, not every nat ion j oins every m ission,
or part icipat es in t he sam e way. Yet , every nat ion m akes a vit al
cont ribut ion, and Am erica is proud t o st and wit h all of you as w e pursue a
broad st rat egy in t he war against t error.
We are using every t ool of finance, int elligence, law enforcem ent and
m ilit ary power t o break t error net works, t o deny t hem refuge, and t o find
t heir leaders. Over t he past 30 m ont hs, we have frozen or seized nearly
$200 m illion in asset s of t error net works. We have capt ured or killed
som e t w o- t hirds of al Qaeda's known leaders, as well as m any of al
Qaeda's associat es count ries like t he Unit ed St at es, or Germ any, or
Pakist an, or Saudi Arabia, or Thailand. We are t aking t he fight t o al
Qaeda allies, such as Ansar - al- I slam in I raq, Jem aah I slam iya in
I ndonesia, and Sout heast Asia. Our coalit ion is sending an unm ist akable
m essage t o t he t errorist s, including t hose who st ruck in Madrid: These
killers will be t racked down and found, t hey will face t heir day of j ust ice.
Our coalit ion is t aking urgent act ion t o st op t he t ransfer of deadly weapon
and m at erials. Am erica and t he nat ions of Aust ralia, and France, and
Germ any, and I t aly, and Japan, and t he Net herlands, Poland, Port ugal,
Spain, t he Unit ed Kingdom , Canada, Singapore, and Norway have j oined
in t he Proliferat ion Securit y I nit iat ive all aim ed t o bind t oget her, t o
int erdict let hal m at erials t ransport ed by air or sea or land. Many
governm ent s have cooperat ed t o expose and dism ant le t he net work of
A.Q. Khan, which sold nuclear secret s t o Libya, I ran and Nort h Korea. By
all t hese effort s, we are det erm ined t o prevent cat ast rophic t echnologies
from falling int o t he hands of an em bit t ered few.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
Our coalit ion is also confront ing t he dangerous com binat ion of out law
st at es, t errorist groups, and weapons of m ass dest ruct ion. For years, t he
Taliban m ade Afghanist an t he hom e base of al Qaeda. And so we gav e
t he Taliban a choice: t o abandon forever t heir support for t error, or face
t he dest ruct ion of t heir regim e. Because t he Taliban chose defiance, our
coalit ion act ed t o rem ove t his t hreat . And now t he t error cam ps are
closed, and t he governm ent of a free Afghanist an is represent ed here
t oday as an act ive part ner in t he war on t error.
The people of Afghanist an are a world away from t he night m are of t he
Taliban. Cit izens of Afghanist an have adopt ed a new const it ut ion,
guarant eeing free elect ions and full part icipat ion by wom en. The new
Afghan arm y is becom ing a vit al force of st abilit y in t hat count ry.
Businesses are opening, healt h care cent ers are being est ablished, and
t he children of Afghanist an are back in school, boys and girls.
This progress is a t ribut e t o t he brave Afghan people, and t o t he effort s
of m any nat ions. NATO - - including forces from Canada, France,
Germ any, and ot her nat ions - - is leading t he effort t o provide securit y.
Japan and Saudi Arabia have helped t o com plet e t he highway from Kabul
t o Kandahar, which is furt hering com m erce and unifying t he count ry.
I t aly is working wit h Afghans t o reform t heir legal syst em , and
st rengt hening an independent j udiciary. Three years ago, t he people of
Afghanist an were oppressed and isolat ed from t he world by a t errorist
regim e. Today, t hat nat ion has a dem ocrat ic governm ent and m any allies
- - and all of us are proud t o be friends of t he Afghan people.
Many count ries represent ed here t oday also act ed t o liberat e t he people
of I raq. One year ago, m ilit ary forces of a st rong coalit ion ent ered I raq t o
enforce Unit ed Nat ions dem ands, t o defend our securit y, and t o liberat e
t hat count ry from t he rule of a t yrant . For I raq, it was a day of
deliverance. For t he nat ions of our coalit ion, it was t he m om ent when
years of dem ands and pledges t urned t o decisive act ion. Today, as I raqis
j oin t he free peoples of t he world, we m ark a t urning point for t he Middle
East , and a crucial advance for hum an libert y.
There have been disagreem ent s in t his m at t er, am ong old and valued
friends. Those differences belong t o t he past . All of us can now agree t hat
t he fall of t he I raqi dict at or has rem oved a source of violence,
aggression, and inst abilit y in t he Middle East . I t 's a good t hing t hat t he
dem ands of t he Unit ed Nat ions were enforced, not ignored wit h im punit y.
I t is a good t hing t hat years of illicit weapons developm ent by t he
dict at or have com e t o t he end. I t is a good t hing t hat t he I raqi people are
now receiving aid, inst ead of suffering under sanct ions. And it is a good
t hing t hat t he m en and wom en across t he Middle East , looking t o I raq,
are get t ing a glim pse of what life in a free count ry can be like.
There are st ill violent t hugs and m urderers in I raq, and we're dealing wit h
t hem . But no one 43 can argue t hat t he I raqi people would be bet t er off
wit h t he t hugs and m urderers back in t he palaces. Who would prefer t hat
Saddam 's t ort ure cham bers st ill be open? Who would wish t hat m ore
Universitas Sumatera Utara
m ass graves were st ill being filled? Who would begrudge t he I raqi people
t heir long- await ed liberat ion? On year aft er t he arm ies of liberat ion
arrived, every soldier who has fought , every aid worker who has served,
every I raqi who has j oined in t heir count ry's defense can look w it h pride
on a brave and hist oric achievem ent . They've served freedom 's cause,
and t hat is a privilege.
Today in I raq, a Brit ish- led division is securing t he sout hern cit y of Basra.
Poland cont inues t o lead a m ult inat ional division in sout h- cent ral I raq.
Japan and t he Republic of Korea - - of Sout h Korea have m ade hist oric
com m it m ent s of t roops t o help bring peace t o I raq. Special forces from El
Salvador, Macedonia, and ot her nat ions are helping t o find and defeat
Baat hist and t errorist killers. Milit ary engineers from Kazakhst an have
cleared m ore t han a half a m illion explosive devices from I raq. Turkey is
helping t o resupply coalit ion forces. All of t hese nat ions, and m any
ot hers, are m eet ing t heir responsibilit ies t o t he people of I raq.
What ever t heir past views, every nat ion now has an int erest in a free,
successful, st able I raq. And t he t errorist s underst and t heir ow n int erest
in t he fat e of t hat count ry. For t hem , t he connect ion bet w een I raq's
fut ure and t he course of t he w ar on t error is very clear. They underst and
t hat a free I raq will be a devast at ing set back t o t heir am bit ions of
t yranny over t he Middle East . And t hey have m ade t he failure of
dem ocracy in I raq one of t heir prim ary obj ect ives.
By at t acking coalit ion forces - - by t arget ing innocent I raqis and foreign
civilians for m urder - - t he t errorist s are t rying t o weaken our will. I nst ead
of weakness, t hey're finding resolve. Not long ago, we int ercept ed a
planning docum ent being sent t o leaders of al Qaeda by one of t heir
associat es, a m an nam ed Zarqawi. Along wit h t he usual t hreat s, he had a
com plaint : " Our enem y," said Zarqawi, " is growing st ronger and his
int elligence dat a are increasing day by day - - t his is suffocat ion." Zarqaw i
is get t ing t he idea. We will never t urn over I raq t o t errorist s who int end
our own dest ruct ion. We will not fail t he I raqi people, who have placed
t heir t rust in us. What ever it t akes, we will fight and work t o assure t he
success of freedom in I raq.
Many coalit ion count ries have sacrificed in bot h I raq and Afghanist an.
Am ong t he fallen soldiers and civilians are sons and daught ers of
Aust ralia, Bulgaria, Canada, Denm ark, Est onia, France, Germ any, I ndia,
I t aly, Japan, t he Republic of Korea, t he Net herlands, Poland, Rom ania,
Spain, Swit zerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekist an, t he Unit ed
Kingdom , and t he Unit ed St at es. We honor t heir courage, we pray for t he
com fort of t heir fam ilies. We will uphold t he cause t hey served.
The rise of dem ocrat ic inst it ut ions in Afghanist an and I raq is a great st ep
t oward a goal of last ing im port ance t o t he world. We have set out t o
encourage reform and dem ocracy in t he great er Middle East as t he
alt ernat ives t o fanat icism , resent m ent , and t error. We've set out t o break
t he cycle of bit t erness and radicalism t hat has brought st agnat ion t o a
vit al region, and dest ruct ion t o cit ies in Am erica and Europe and around
Universitas Sumatera Utara
t he world. This t ask is hist oric, and difficult ; t his t ask is necessary and
wort hy of our effort s.
I n t he 1970s, t he advance of dem ocracy in Lisbon and Madrid inspired
dem ocrat ic change in Lat in Am erica. I n t he 1980s, t he exam ple of Poland
ignit ed a fire of freedom in all of East ern Europe. Wit h Afghanist an and
I raq showing t he way, we are confident t hat freedom will lift t he sight s
and hopes of m illions in t he great er Middle East .
One m an who believed in our cause was a Japanese diplom at nam ed
Kat suhiko Oku. He w orked for t he Coalit ion Provision Aut horit y in I raq.
Mr. Oku w as killed when his car was am bushed. I n his diary he described
his pride in t he cause he had j oined. " The free people of I raq," he wrot e,
" are now m aking st eady progress in reconst ruct ing t heir count ry - - while
also fight ing against t he t hreat of t errorism . We m ust j oin hands wit h t he
I raqi people in t heir effort t o prevent I raq from falling int o t he hands of
t errorist s." This good, decent m an concluded, " This is also our fight t o
defend freedom ."
Ladies and gent lem en, t his good m an from Japan was right . The
est ablishm ent of a free I raq is our fight . The success of a free
Afghanist an is our fight . The war on t error is our fight . All of us are called
t o share t he blessings of libert y, and t o be st rong and st eady in
freedom 's defense. I t will surely be said of our t im es t hat we lived wit h
great challenges. Let it also be said of our t im es t hat we underst ood our
great dut ies, and m et t hem in full.
May God bless our effort s. ( Applause.)
Universitas Sumatera Utara