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Skriven 2006-03-16 23:33:08 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0603168) for Thu, 2006 Mar 16
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Remarks by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley to the United States
Institute of Peace on the President's National Security Strategy
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 16, 2006

Remarks by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley to the United States
Institute of Peace on the President's National Security Strategy
Renaissance Mayflower Hotel
Washington, D.C.



MR. HADLEY: Thank you very much, Robin. I'd also like to thank Ambassador
Dick Solomon for being here and for inviting me to speak to you today. I am
honored to be here with so many members of the diplomatic corps and other
distinguished guests who have joined us today, and I appreciate the
opportunity to visit with you and to discuss the President's National
Security Strategy.

I want to begin by thanking the Institute for your hard work, particularly
in Afghanistan and Iraq. Your support of those drafting the Afghan
constitution has helped create a society rooted in the rule of law that
respects the rights of all Afghans. Your work in Iraq is bringing different
Iraqi groups together to discuss their common future. The Institute is
making a difference, bringing the hope of peace and freedom to both
countries. And we are very grateful for that work.

Today, we released the President's National Security Strategy, which
explains the strategic underpinning of his foreign policy. As the President
has said, America's policy -- and its purpose -- is to seek and support the
growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and
culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

The National Security Strategy lays out the President's vision of how to
achieve this goal -- and today I want to draw your attention to five
important themes in the strategy. First, America must be strong and secure.
We are at war, and defeating the terrorists is America's most immediate
challenge. Second, our strategy is to defeat -- our strategy to defeat the
terrorists must include a strategy to defeat their hateful ideology. We do
this by promoting a positive vision -- the promise of freedom and
democracy. Third, freedom and democracy are more than just a means to an
end. Our nation has long promoted freedom as the birthright of every human
being. We champion effective democracy as the best way for nations to
secure the freedom of their citizens, as well as their prosperity and
security. Fourth, security and effective democracy can enable the pursuit
of a smart development strategy that can improve the lives of people
everywhere. Fifth, a community of effective democracies can best address
the regional and global challenges of our time.

The President's strategy begins with the recognition that America is at
war. Protecting the American people remains the first duty of the President
of the United States. The President's strategy renews his commitment to
maintain an American military without peer that can dissuade, deter, and
defeat a wide variety of potential threats.

The President continues to mobilize all elements of America's national
power to defeat the terrorist threat. To do that, he believes we must stay
on the offense: We must defeat the terrorists abroad so we do not need to
face them here at home. The strategy reaffirms the doctrine the President
has set forth so clearly, that America makes no distinction between the
terrorists, and the countries that harbor them. And the President believes
that we must remember the clearest lesson of September 11th -- that the
United States of America must confront threats before they fully
materialize.

The President's strategy affirms that the doctrine of preemption remains
sound and must remain an integral part of our National Security Strategy.
If necessary," the strategy states, "...under longstanding principles of
self-defense, we do not rule out the use of force before attacks occur,
even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy's attack.
Terrorist attacks in London, Madrid, Amman, Samarra, Bali, Riyadh and many
other cities since September 11th are grim reminders of just how lethal and
determined the terrorists remain.

At the same time, the United States, with its partners and allies, is
making progress in the war on terror. From the terrorists' point of view,
they have lost their home base in Afghanistan, many of their leaders are
dead or in custody, countries that once allowed them free rein are now
moving against them, their efforts to divide their opponents have largely
failed and the terrorists' strategy of attacking innocent Muslims is
beginning to backfire and expose them for what they are: enemies of all
humanity with no respect for human life and dignity.

Two weeks ago I was with the President in Kabul, and we witnessed the
enormous transformation that has taken place in Afghanistan. Before
September 11th, 2001, Afghanistan was ruled by a cruel regime that
oppressed its people, brutalized women, and gave safe haven to the
terrorists who attacked America. Today, the terror camps have been shut
down, women are free to work if they choose, boys and girls are back in
school -- and 25 million people now enjoy freedom.

This week will mark the three-year anniversary of the liberation of Iraq.
In that time, the Iraqi people have gone from suffering under a brutal
tyrant to liberation, to sovereignty, to free elections, to a
constitutional referendum, and, last December, to elections for a fully
constitutional government. In those December elections, over 11 million
Iraqis -- more than 75 percent of the Iraqi voting age population -- defied
the terrorists to cast their ballots.

Yet in recent weeks our memories of purple-ink-stained fingers have been
replaced by images of events much more violent -- a ruined house of
worship, mass protests in response to provocation, reprisal attacks by
armed militias, and sectarian violence that has taken the lives of hundreds
of Iraqi citizens.

The sectarian tensions that are fueling this violence were exacerbated for
many years by Saddam Hussein's tyranny. Saddam ruled through brutal
suppression of dissent, through murder and genocide, and his Iraq became a
nation of deeply repressed sectarian divides. It should surprise no one
that freedom has allowed the expression of sectarian identity, and the
surfacing of sectarian grievances. And it should surprise no one that
terrorists like Zarqawi would seek to exploit these divisions.

But freedom and democracy have also empowered and legitimized leaders who
exerted their influence over the last two weeks to dampen the violence and
draw their nation back from the brink of sectarian warfare. As the
President said, the Iraqi people "looked into the abyss and did not like
what they saw." The vast majority of the Iraqi people clearly do not want
civil war. They do not want sectarian violence to rob all Iraqis of the
hope of a common future. And their elected leaders are doing the difficult
work of binding the nation together and forming a national unity
government.

That work goes on as we speak. Before coming here I spoke with Ambassador
Khalilzad, as I do every couple days, for a status report. The leaders of
all the various parties and factions are in Baghdad; they are meeting daily
to form a unity government. They announced to the Iraqi people two days ago
that they would seek to do that by the end of the month. They are working
on a structure of government, the personnel to go in position, and a common
program that can bind the government and the country together.

The process is going forward. The legislative assembly met today -- that
meeting went well -- and the leaders group is resuming their discussions
tomorrow. We are supporting that effort strongly. The government that
emerges will be an Iraqi government. But we and the Iraqi leaders agreed
that the next step for Iraq needs to be a unity government, and needs to be
a unity government soon.

Violence remains a challenge in Iraq, and it remains a challenge in
Afghanistan. But this challenge is being met by leaders, empowered by the
ballot, who offer their people a new hope rooted in freedom and democracy.

The President's strategy recognizes that the global war on terror is both a
battle of arms and a battle of ideas. In the battle of ideas, freedom and
democracy directly counter the ideology of the terrorists. The terrorists
exploit feelings of alienation, while freedom and democracy offer a stake
in society, and a chance to shape one's own future. The terrorists exploit
historical grievances, while freedom and democracy offer institutions that
promote peaceful resolution of disputes. The terrorists exploit
misinformation, prejudices, and propaganda, while freedom and democracy
offer independent media and the marketplace of ideas. And while the
terrorists exploit a religion to justify murder, freedom and democracy
offer respect for human dignity and rejection of the deliberate destruction
of innocent lives.

For the vast majority of Afghans and Iraqis, the choice between these two
visions is clear, and they have chosen democracy. Yet freedom and democracy
are not merely means to an end in the war on terror; they are noble
purposes our nation promotes because of our history and our founding
principles.

The President expressed this calling most clearly in his second inaugural
address. He said, "America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are
now one. From the day of our founding, we have proclaimed that every man
and woman on this Earth has rights and dignity and matchless value, because
they bear the image of the Maker of heaven and Earth. Across the
generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because
no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing
these ideals is the mission that created our nation. It is the honorable
achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our
nation's security, and the calling of our time."

Human freedom and human rights are released by the defeat of tyranny, but
they are secured by the creation of effective democracies. Effective
democracies play a central role in American foreign policy, because they
are our natural allies and the anchors of stability in the international
system. We seek to help newly free nations build effective democracies, and
to partner with effective democracies to address global challenges.

Effective democracies uphold basic human rights, including freedom of
religion, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly,
and freedom of the press. Effective democracies submit to the will of the
people, especially when the people vote to change their government.
Effective democracies exercise sovereignty, maintain order, and establish
the rule of law within their own borders -- and fight corruption. Effective
democracies protect institutions of civil society such as the family,
religious communities, voluntary associations, private property and
independent businesses. And effective democracies foster a vibrant civic
culture that limits the power of the state through an independent media,
opposition political parties, and a system of institutional checks and
balances.

The President's strategy recognizes that the journey to effective democracy
is long, and it highlights practical ways America supports countries as
they make this journey. While free elections are the most visible sign of a
free society, they are only the start of the process. Time and patience are
required to build the institutions and practices of effective democracy.
But free elections can be catalysts for change, by building popular demand
for the other democratic institutions necessary to sustain freedom. Some
have argued that holding elections before these institutions are in place
is premature. But we know that tyrannies are generally poor incubators of
free institutions. Generally, it is elected leaders who have the legitimacy
to lead a nation -- with the sustained support of other effective
democracies -- along the path of democratic success.

As nations find their way in building the institutions of effective
democracy, they create opportunities for their people to prosper and build
better lives. Creating global prosperity is another vital element of the
President's National Security Strategy. The President recognizes that
economic freedom and political freedom cannot be long separated. As people
experience the freedom to buy, to sell, and to produce, it is only a matter
of time until they will demand the freedom to assemble, to speak, and to
worship.

For developing nations, the President has promoted economic freedom through
an innovative global development strategy, the Millennium Challenge Account
program. The President believes that each nation bears the responsibility
for its own development, and that success will go to those nations that
govern justly, fight corruption, invest in the health and education of
their people, and are open to the power of free markets and free trade to
lift people out of poverty. Nations that make these choices deserve the
active support of the developed world.

The Millennium Challenge Account program is only part of the President's
development strategy. He continues to support reducing debt burdens that
cripple many nations in the developing world, and opening access to private
capital markets. He recognizes the importance of the international private
sector in development, as well as a nation's own entrepreneurs. He believes
in the dignity of every human life and, therefore, has led unprecedented
efforts to address deadly diseases such as AIDS and malaria. Together,
these initiatives are creating an alternative to the failed model of
corruption and permanent dependency that has been so prevalent in the past.

The President's strategy promotes economic freedom on a global scale,
through a free trade agenda to foster prosperity among both developing and
developed nations. The President supports open markets, a stable financial
system, and the integration of the global economy -- because each of these
helps create better lives for all people and a more secure world. The
President's free trade agenda includes ambitious proposals put forward in
the Doha Development Agenda negotiations of the World Trade Organization.
Lowering trade barriers worldwide in agriculture, manufacturing, and
services is the best opportunity in a generation to lift millions of people
out of poverty and enhance economic opportunity for all people.

Effective democracies provide stability, accountability, and opportunity
for their people. Mobilizing effective democracies is also the best hope
for addressing the serious challenges we face in our world.

And the challenges we face are enormous. We face public health challenges
such as AIDS and avian flu. We face environmental challenges, some of which
have been created by human beings, some of which have destroyed human
beings through horrific natural disasters. We face energy challenges caused
by dependence on old fuels and old technologies. We face the challenges of
terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We face the
challenges of the global drug trade, organized crime, and the detestable
trade of human beings for sex and for slavery.

We face the challenge of oppression and violations of basic human rights.
The President is personally offended by the profound oppression and
suffering in Darfur, Sudan, as well as in Burma, North Korea, Zimbabwe,
Cuba, Iran, Belarus, and other countries. Oppression occurs often on a
massive scale, often as a tool of government control. The perpetrators of
these horrors brazenly proclaim their indifference to human rights
standards

-- so we in the international community must be equally bold in condemning
their outrageous conduct.

Effective democracies can improve human rights, address other global
challenges, and create a better world -- if we all work together. The
President's strategy highlights ways in which effective democracies can
cooperate for the greater good. But we must think differently and organize
ourselves more creatively if we are to be effective.

The President believes that new international partnerships and arrangements
among willing nations offer the possibility of quick and measurable
results. The Proliferation Security Initiative, for example, has no
governing council, no executive secretariat -- but it has created a
community of nations voluntarily committed to acting together to keep
dangerous weapons from rogue states and terrorist groups. The Asia-Pacific
Partnership on Development and Climate is a group of states working to
enhance energy security, reduce poverty, and lower pollution levels through
accelerated development of clean technologies. The ad hoc Core Group led
multinational efforts to respond to the devastating tsunami of 2004, and
filled a critical gap until more traditional relief organizations could
begin operations.

The President values these partnerships and arrangements, and his strategy
anticipates replicating these and other innovative models to address future
challenges. Measurable outcomes, not endless process, should define our
international partnerships going forward.

I've only mentioned some of the principal elements of the President's
National Security Strategy. But all of the President's foreign policy
initiatives are united by his conviction that we are living in a moment of
choosing, for our nation and for the world. America can choose a path of
fear, leading to isolationism and protectionism, or a path of confidence,
leading to international engagement and the expansion of freedom and
democracy.

The President's National Security Strategy charts the way forward along the
path of confidence. It is a strategy of leadership. It is a strategy of
partnership. It is a strategy that protects America's vital interests,
reflects America's history, and promotes America's highest ideals.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

END

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