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Skriven 2006-09-02 23:31:30 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (060902) for Sat, 2006 Sep 2
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 2, 2006

President's Radio Address


ÿÿÿÿÿ Audio ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: National Security ÿÿÿÿÿ

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, I spoke to the American Legion in
Salt Lake City. I thanked the military veterans for their lifetime of
service to our country. And I gave them an update on the war that America
is now fighting in defense of freedom in our time.

We're approaching the fifth anniversary of the September the 11th attacks
-- and since that day, we have taken the fight to the enemy. Yet this war
is more than a military conflict; it is the decisive ideological struggle
of the 21st century. On one side are those who believe in freedom and
moderation -- the right of all people to speak, worship, and live in
liberty. On the other side are those driven by tyranny and extremism -- the
right of a self-appointed few to impose their fanatical views on all the
rest. We did not ask for this war, but we're answering history's call with
confidence -- and we will prevail.

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We are using every element of national power to defeat the terrorists.
First, we're staying on the offense against the terrorists, fighting them
overseas so we do not have to face them here at home. Second, we made it
clear to all nations, if you harbor terrorists, you're as guilty as the
terrorists, you're an enemy of the United States, and you will be held to
account. And third, we have launched a bold new agenda to defeat the
ideology of the enemy by supporting the forces of freedom and moderation in
the Middle East and beyond.

A vital part of our strategy to defeat the terrorists is to help establish
a democratic Iraq, which will be a beacon of liberty in the region and an
ally in the global war on terror. The terrorists understand the threat a
democratic Iraq poses to their cause, so they've been fighting a bloody
campaign of sectarian violence, which they hope will plunge that country
into a civil war. Our commanders and diplomats on the ground believe that
Iraq has not descended into a civil war. They report that only a small
number of Iraqis are engaged in sectarian violence, while the overwhelming
majority want peace and a normal life in a unified country. America will
stand with the Iraqi people as they protect their new freedom -- and build
a democracy that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself.

Working side-by-side with Iraqi forces, we recently launched a major new
campaign to end the security crisis in Baghdad. This operation is still in
its early stages, yet the initial results are encouraging. The people of
Baghdad are seeing their security forces in the streets, dealing a blow to
criminals and terrorists. According to one military report, a Sunni man in
a diverse Baghdad neighborhood said this about the Shia soldiers on patrol:
"Their image has changed. Now you feel they are there to protect you." Over
the coming weeks and months, the operation will expand throughout Baghdad
-- until Iraq's democratic government is in full control of the capital.
This work is difficult and dangerous, but Iraqi forces are determined to
succeed -- and America is determined to help them.

Here at home, some politicians say that our best option is to pull out of
Iraq, regardless of the situation on the ground. Many of these people are
sincere and patriotic -- but they could not be more wrong. If America were
to pull out before Iraq can defend itself, the consequences would be
disastrous. We would be handing Iraq over to the terrorists, giving them a
base of operations and huge oil riches to fund their ambitions. And we know
exactly where those ambitions lead. If we give up the fight in the streets
of Baghdad, we will face the terrorists in the streets of our own cities.
The security of the civilized world depends on victory in the war on
terror, and that depends on victory in Iraq, so America will not leave
until victory is achieved.

For all the debate, American policy in the Middle East comes down to a
straightforward choice: We can allow the Middle East to continue on the
course that led to September the 11th -- and a generation from now, our
children will face a region dominated by terrorist states and radical
dictators armed with nuclear weapons. Or we can stop that from happening,
by rallying the world to confront the ideology of hate, by supporting the
forces of liberty and moderation in the region, and by helping give the
people of the Middle East a future of hope. And that is the choice America
has made.

The path to victory will be uphill and uneven, and it will require more
patience and sacrifice from our Nation. Yet we can be confident of the
outcome, because America will not waver -- and because the direction of
history leads toward freedom.

Thank you for listening.
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