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Skriven 2004-11-13 23:33:12 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (041113) for Sat, 2004 Nov 13
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 13, 2004

President's Radio Address


˙˙˙˙˙Audio


THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Allawi of Iraq authorized military
operations to rid the city of Fallujah of Saddam holdouts and foreign
terrorists. American Marines and soldiers, alongside Iraqi security forces,
are on the offensive against the killers who have been using Fallujah as a
base of operations for terrorist attacks, and who have held the local
population in the grip of fear.

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Fighting together, our forces have made significant progress in the last
several days. They are taking back the city, clearing mosques of weapons
and explosives stockpiled by insurgents, and restoring order for
law-abiding citizens.

In the course of this operation, Iraqi troops have discovered new evidence
of the enemy's brutality. An Iraqi general has described hostage slaughter
houses, where terrorists have killed innocent victims and proudly recorded
their barbaric crimes. The terrorists have shown once again the stakes of
this struggle. They seek to spread fear and violence throughout Iraq,
throughout the Broader Middle East and throughout the world, and they will
fail. The terrorists will be defeated, Iraq will be free, and the world
will be more secure. Our commitment to the success of democracy in Iraq is
unshakable and we will prevail.

Ultimately, Iraq must be able to defend itself, and Iraqi security forces
are taking increasing responsibility for their country's security. As we
see in Fallujah, and as we saw in Najaf and elsewhere, Iraqi security
forces are standing and fighting and risking their lives for the future of
their nation. As terrorists have targeted these forces, still more brave
Iraqis have come forward as volunteers. Today, nearly 115,000 trained and
equipped Iraqi soldiers, police officers and other security personnel are
serving their country. The Iraqi government is on track to meet its goal of
fielding more than 200,000 security personnel by the end of next year.

In January, the Iraqi people will elect a transitional national assembly,
which will draft a new constitution to prepare the way for the election of
a permanent Iraqi government. The Iraqi people, like the people of
Afghanistan before them, are embracing a democratic future, even in the
face of threats and intimidation. Throughout the country, Iraqi men and
women are registering to vote, political parties are forming, candidates
for office are stepping forward.

International support for the Iraqi election is essential, and that support
continues to grow. Military forces from some 30 nations are working
alongside Iraqi forces, helping to establish stability and security. A U.N.
team is providing critical technical support to Iraq's independent
electoral commission. Other diplomatic personnel are helping the Iraqi
people prepare for those elections, to be held on schedule in January.

As those elections draw near, the desperation of the killers will grow, and
the violence could escalate. The success of democracy in Iraq would be a
crushing blow to the forces of terror, and the terrorists know it. The
defeat of terror in Iraq will set that nation on a course to lasting
freedom, and will give hope to millions, and the Iraqi people know it. And
a free, democratic Iraq will inspire reformers throughout the Middle East
and make America more secure.

The United States and our allies have shown our determination to help
Iraqis achieve their liberty. We will continue to stand by our friends, and
we will finish the job.

Thank you for listening.

END

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