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Skriven 2006-06-10 23:34:20 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (060610) for Sat, 2006 Jun 10
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 10, 2006

President's Radio Address


ÿÿÿÿÿ Audio ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: National Security ÿÿÿÿÿ

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This was a good week for the cause of freedom.
On Wednesday night in Iraq, U.S. military forces killed the terrorist
Zarqawi.

The killing of Zarqawi is an important victory in the global war on terror.
This Jordanian-born terrorist was the operational commander of al Qaida in
Iraq. He led a campaign of car bombings, and kidnappings, and suicide
attacks that has taken the lives of many American forces, international aid
workers, and thousands of innocent Iraqis. Zarqawi had a long history of
murder and bloodshed. Before September the 11th, 2001, he ran a camp in
Afghanistan that trained terrorists -- until Coalition forces destroyed
that camp. He fled to Iraq, where he received medical care and set up
operations with terrorist associates.

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After the fall of Saddam, Zarqawi went underground and declared his
allegiance to Osama bin Laden, who called him the "Prince of al Qaida in
Iraq" and instructed terrorists around the world to "listen to him and obey
him." Zarqawi personally beheaded American hostages and other civilians in
Iraq; he masterminded the destruction of the United Nations headquarters in
Baghdad; and he was responsible for the assassination of an American
diplomat in Jordan and the bombing of hotels in Amman. His goals in Iraq
were clear: He wanted to stop the rise of democracy, drive coalition forces
out, incite a civil war, and turn that country into a safe haven from which
al Qaida could launch new attacks on America and other free nations.
Instead, Zarqawi died in the free and democratic Iraq that he fought so
hard to prevent, and the world is better off because this violent man will
never kill again.

Iraqis can be justly proud of their new government and its early steps to
improve their security. And Americans can be enormously proud of the men
and women of our Armed Forces, and the intelligence officers who support
them. In the past three years, our troops have overthrown a cruel dictator,
fought the terrorists and insurgents house to house, and trained Iraqi
forces to defend their new democracy. All the while, they stayed on the
trail of this brutal terrorist, persevering through years of near misses
and false leads and never giving up hope. This week they got their man. And
all Americans are grateful for their remarkable achievement.

Zarqawi is dead, but the difficult and necessary mission in Iraq continues.
In the weeks ahead, violence in Iraq may escalate. The terrorists and
insurgents will seek to prove that they can carry on without Zarqawi. And
Coalition and Iraqi forces are seizing this moment to strike the enemies of
freedom in Iraq at this time of uncertainty for their cause. The work ahead
will require more sacrifice and the continued patience of the American
people.

I'm encouraged by Prime Minister Maliki's determination to defeat our
common enemies and bring security and rule of law to all Iraqis. This week
he took another major step toward this objective when he completed the
formation of his cabinet -- naming a new Minister of Defense, a new
Minister of the Interior, and a new Minister of State for National
Security. These new leaders will help the government address its top
priorities: reconciliation, reconstruction, and putting an end to the
kidnappings, beheadings, and suicide bombings.

As they pursue these goals, they will have America's full support. On
Monday, I will convene my national security team and other key members of
my Cabinet at Camp David to discuss the way ahead in Iraq. On Tuesday,
Iraq's new Ambassador to the United States will join us, and we will have a
teleconference discussion with Prime Minister Maliki and members of his
cabinet. Together we will determine how to best deploy America's resources
in Iraq and achieve our shared goal of an Iraq that can govern itself,
sustain itself, and defend itself.

There's still difficult work ahead in Iraq. Yet this week, the ideology of
terror has suffered a severe blow. Al Qaida has lost its leader in Iraq,
the Iraqi people have completed a democratic government that is determined
to defend them, and freedom has achieved a great victory in the heart of
the Middle East.

Thank you for listening.

END

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