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Skriven 2005-05-21 23:33:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (050521) for Sat, 2005 May 21
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release
May 21, 2005

President's Radio Address


ÿÿÿÿÿAudio

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Today, I can report to you that we are making
good progress in advancing the cause of freedom, defeating the forces of
terror, and transforming our military so we can meet the emerging threats
of the 21st century. As I speak, Laura is in the Middle East to help
advance the freedom agenda; and her message is a powerful one -- that by
working together for liberty, we will create a future of peace and
opportunity for women and men worldwide.

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On Monday, I will meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the White House to
discuss freedom's remarkable progress in his nation. Afghanistan now has a
constitution, an elected President, and its citizens will return to the
polls this September to elect provincial councils in the lower house of the
National Assembly. We're helping Afghanistan's elected government solidify
these democratic gains and deliver real change. A nation that once knew
only the terror of the Taliban is now seeing a rebirth of freedom, and we
will help them succeed.

Terrorists know that there is no room for them as freedom takes root in the
broader Middle East, so they are fighting to stop its progress. But in
recent weeks, we have dealt them a series of devastating blows. In
Afghanistan, we have brought to justice dozens of terrorists and
insurgents. In Pakistan, one of Osama bin Laden's senior terrorist leaders,
a man named Al-Libbi, was brought to justice. In Iraq, we captured two
deputies of the terrorist Zarqawi, and our forces have killed or captured
hundreds of terrorists and insurgents near the Syrian border.

Our strategy is clear: We will fight the terrorists abroad so we do not
have to face them here at home. While some difficult days still lie ahead,
these recent victories are making America safer and the world more secure.

As we make progress against today's enemies, we are also transforming our
military to defeat the enemies we might face in the decades ahead. On
Friday, I will speak to future leaders of our military who are graduating
from the U.S. Naval Academy about how we are making our Armed Forces
faster, more agile, and more lethal.

To deal with the emerging threats of the 21st century, we are building a
military that can deploy rapidly and deliver more fire power with fewer
forward deployed forces. However, much of our military is still deployed in
ways that reflect the threats of the Cold War. So last summer, I announced
a plan to reposition our forces over the next decade. This shift will bring
home 60,000 to 70,000 uniformed personnel, while still maintaining a
significant overseas presence. It will also allow us to reduce the stress
on our military families and make the best overall use of our resources. In
the months and years ahead, we will continue to do what is necessary to
prepare our Armed Forces to protect the American people in this new
century.

The war on terror continues, and we are making solid progress, but we must
not become complacent. We will continue to pursue terrorists abroad. We
will continue to support democratic change throughout the world, including
in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the broader Middle East. And we will do whatever
it takes to support our men and women in uniform and give them the tools
they need to prevail.

Thank you for listening.

END

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