Speech on the War on Terror & Hope For Israel-Palestinian Peace
(March 8, 2005)
Thank you, all. Please be seated. It is great to be
back to this fine university. Many great military leaders of the 20th
century, from Dwight Eisenhower, to Colin Powell, studied on this campus.
And today the National Defense University is training a new generation
of leaders who will serve and defend this nation in a new century. Americans
are grateful for your devotion to duty, and so is your Commander-in-Chief.
I am honored that two influential and important members of the United
States Congress have joined us. First, Senator Joe Lieberman, strong
defender of freedom. Thank you for coming, Senator. And the Chairman
of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Duncan Hunter. Proud
you're here, Dunc. Thanks for coming. In the midst of what we hope will
be the final snow blizzard of 2005, I'm honored you two men slushed
here to this event.
I appreciate so very much Lieutenant General Michael Dunn and his wife,
Pam, for greeting me and for serving our nation. I want to thank all
the National Defense University students for being here. I appreciate
the staff for joining us. I want to thank the members of the diplomatic
corps who have come today. It is an honor to see you all again. I want
to thank my fellow Americans for caring about the subject of peace,
and that's what I'm here to discuss.
We meet at a time of great consequence for the security of our nation,
a time when the defense of freedom requires the advance of freedom,
a time with echoes in our history.
Twice in six decades, a sudden attack on the United States launched
our country into a global conflict, and began a period of serious reflection
on America's place in the world. The bombing of Pearl Harbor taught
America that unopposed tyranny, even on far-away continents, could draw
our country into a struggle for our own survival. And our reflection
on that lesson led us to help build peaceful democracies in the ruins
of tyranny, to unite free nations in the NATO Alliance, and to establish
a firm commitment to peace in the Pacific that continues to this day.
The attacks of September the 11th, 2001 also revealed the outlines
of a new world. In one way, that assault was the culmination of decades
of escalating violence -- from the killing of U.S. Marines in Beirut,
to the bombing at the World Trade Center, to the attacks on American
embassies in Africa, to the attacks on the USS Cole. In another way,
September the 11th provided a warning of future dangers -- of terror
networks aided by outlaw regimes, and ideologies that incite the murder
of the innocent, and biological and chemical and nuclear weapons that
multiply destructive power.
Like an earlier generation, America is answering new dangers with firm
resolve. No matter how long it takes, no matter how difficult the task,
we will fight the enemy, and lift the shadow of fear, and lead free
nations to victory.
Like an earlier generation, America is pursuing a clear strategy with
our allies to achieve victory. Our immediate strategy is to eliminate
terrorist threats abroad, so we do not have to face them here at home.
The theory here is straightforward: terrorists are less likely to endanger
our security if they are worried about their own security. When terrorists
spend their days struggling to avoid death or capture, they are less
capable of arming and training to commit new attacks. We will keep the
terrorists on the run, until they have nowhere left to hide.
In three and a half years, the United States and our allies have waged
a campaign of global scale -- from the mountains of Afghanistan, to
the border regions of Pakistan, to the Horn of Africa, to the islands
of the Philippines, to the plains of North Central Iraq. The al Qaeda
terror network that attacked our country still has leaders, but many
of its top commanders have been removed. There are still governments
that sponsor and harbor terrorists, but their number has declined. There
are still regimes seeking weapons of mass destruction -- but no longer
without attention and without consequence. Our country is still the
target of terrorists who want to kill many, and intimidate us all. We
will stay on the offensive against them, until the fight is won.
Members of our military are undertaking difficult missions, in some
of the most dangerous and desolate parts of the world. These volunteers
know the risks they face, and they know the cause they serve. As one
Marine sergeant put it, "I never want my children to experience
what we saw in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania."
He said, "If we can eliminate whatever threat we can on foreign
soil, I would rather do it there than have it come [home] to us."
In this vital cause, some of our men and women in uniform have fallen,
some have returned home with terrible injuries, and all who sacrifice
will have the permanent gratitude of the United States of America.
In this war on terror, America is not alone. Many governments have
awakened to the dangers we share and have begun to take serious action.
Global terror requires a global response, and America is more secure
today because dozens of other countries have stepped up to the fight.
We're more secure because Pakistani forces captured more than one hundred
extremists across the country last year, including operatives who were
plotting attacks against the United States. We're more secure because
Britain arrested an al Qaeda operative who had provided detailed casing
reports on American targets to senior al Qaeda leaders. We're more secure
because German authorities arrested extremists who were planning attacks
against U.S. and coalition targets in Iraq. We're more secure because
the Philippines' new Anti-Terrorism Task Force has helped capture more
than a dozen terrorist suspects -- including seven members of al Qaeda
and affiliated networks. We're more secure because Poland is leading
a 15-nation multi-national division in Iraq, and forces from 23 countries
have given their lives in the struggle against terrorists and insurgents
in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Our allies in the war on terror are making tough decisions, and they're
taking risks, and they're losing lives. These countries have proven
themselves trusted friends and reliable allies. So I urge the Congress
to pass the Solidarity Initiative I have proposed to stand by the countries
that are standing by us in the war on terror.
Our strategy to keep the peace in the longer term is to help change
the conditions that give rise to extremism and terror, especially in
the broader Middle East. Parts of that region have been caught for generations
in a cycle of tyranny and despair and radicalism. When a dictatorship
controls the political life of a country, responsible opposition cannot
develop, and dissent is driven underground and toward the extreme. And
to draw attention away from their social and economic failures, dictators
place blame on other countries and other races, and stir the hatred
that leads to violence. This status quo of despotism and anger cannot
be ignored or appeased, kept in a box or bought off, because we have
witnessed how the violence in that region can reach easily across borders
and oceans. The entire world has an urgent interest in the progress,
and hope, and freedom in the broader Middle East.
The advance of hope in the Middle East requires new thinking in the
region. By now it should be clear that authoritarian rule is not the
wave of the future; it is the last gasp of a discredited past. It should
be clear that free nations escape stagnation, and grow stronger with
time, because they encourage the creativity and enterprise of their
people. It should be clear that economic progress requires political
modernization, including honest representative government and the rule
of law. And it should be clear that no society can advance with only
half of its talent and energy -- and that demands the full participation
of women.
The advance of hope in the Middle East also requires new thinking in
the capitals of great democracies -- including Washington, D.C. By now
it should be clear that decades of excusing and accommodating tyranny,
in the pursuit of stability, have only led to injustice and instability
and tragedy. It should be clear that the advance of democracy leads
to peace, because governments that respect the rights of their people
also respect the rights of their neighbors. It should be clear that
the best antidote to radicalism and terror is the tolerance and hope
kindled in free societies. And our duty is now clear: For the sake of
our long-term security, all free nations must stand with the forces
of democracy and justice that have begun to transform the Middle East.
Encouraging democracy in that region is a generational commitment.
It's also a difficult commitment, demanding patience and resolve --
when the headlines are good and when the headlines aren't so good. Freedom
has determined enemies, who show no mercy for the innocent, and no respect
for the rules of warfare. Many societies in the region struggle with
poverty and illiteracy, many rulers in the region have longstanding
habits of control; many people in the region have deeply ingrained habits
of fear.
For all these reasons, the chances of democratic progress in the broader
Middle East have seemed frozen in place for decades. Yet at last, clearly
and suddenly, the thaw has begun. The people of Afghanistan have embraced
free government, after suffering under one of the most backward tyrannies
on earth. The voters in Iraq defied threats of murder, and have set
their country on a path to full democracy. The people of the Palestinian
Territories cast their ballots against violence and corruption of the
past. And any who doubt the appeal of freedom in the Middle East can
look to Lebanon, where the Lebanese people are demanding a free and
independent nation. In the words of one Lebanese observer, "Democracy
is knocking at the door of this country and, if it's successful in Lebanon,
it is going to ring the doors of every Arab regime."
Across the Middle East, a critical mass of events is taking that region
in a hopeful new direction. Historic changes have many causes, yet these
changes have one factor in common. A businessman in Beirut recently
said, "We have removed the mask of fear. We're not afraid anymore."
Pervasive fear is the foundation of every dictatorial regime -- the
prop that holds up all power not based on consent. And when the regime
of fear is broken, and the people find their courage and find their
voice, democracy is their goal, and tyrants, themselves, have reason
to fear.
History is moving quickly, and leaders in the Middle East have important
choices to make. The world community, including Russia and Germany and
France and Saudi Arabia and the United States has presented the Syrian
government with one of those choices -- to end its nearly 30-year occupation
of Lebanon, or become even more isolated from the world. The Lebanese
people have heard the speech by the Syrian president. They've seen these
delaying tactics and half-measures before. The time has come for Syria
to fully implement Security Council Resolution 1559. All Syrian military
forces and intelligence personnel must withdraw before the Lebanese
elections, for those elections to be free and fair.
The elections in Lebanon must be fully and carefully monitored by international
observers. The Lebanese people have the right to determine their future,
free from domination by a foreign power. The Lebanese people have the
right to choose their own parliament this spring, free of intimidation.
And that new government will have the help of the international community
in building sound political, economic, and military institutions, so
the great nation of Lebanon can move forward in security and freedom.
Today I have a message for the people of Lebanon: All the world is
witnessing your great movement of conscience. Lebanon's future belongs
in your hands, and by your courage, Lebanon's future will be in your
hands. The American people are on your side. Millions across the earth
are on your side. The momentum of freedom is on your side, and freedom
will prevail in Lebanon.
America and other nations are also aware that the recent terrorist
attack in Tel Aviv was conducted by a radical Palestinian group headquartered
in Damascus. Syria, as well as Iran, has a long history of supporting
terrorist groups determined to sow division and chaos in the Middle
East, and there is every possibility they will try this strategy again.
The time has come for Syria and Iran to stop using murder as a tool
of policy, and to end all support for terrorism.
In spite of attacks by extremists, the world is
seeing hopeful progress in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. There is
only one outcome that will end the tyranny, danger, violence and hopelessness,
and meet the aspirations of all people in the region: We seek two democratic
states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security.
And that goal is within reach, if all the parties
meet their responsibilities and if terrorism is brought to an end. Arab
states must end incitement in their own media, cut off public and private
funding for terrorism, stop their support for extremist education, and
establish normal relations with Israel. Israel must freeze settlement
activity, help the Palestinians build a thriving economy, and ensure
that a new Palestinian state is truly viable, with contiguous territory
on the West Bank. Palestinian leaders must fight corruption, encourage
free enterprise, rest true authority with the people, and actively confront
terrorist groups.
The bombing in Tel Aviv is a reminder that the fight
against terrorists is critical to the search for peace and for Palestinian
statehood. In an interview last week, Palestinian President Abbas strongly
condemned the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv, declaring, "Ending
violence and security chaos is first and foremost a Palestinian interest."
He went on to say, "We cannot build the foundations of a state
without the rule of law and public order."
President Abbas is correct. And so the United States
will help the Palestinian Authority build the security services that
current peace and future statehood require: security forces which are
effective, responsive to civilian control, and dedicated to fighting
terror and upholding the rule of law. We will coordinate with the government
of Israel, with neighbors such as Egypt and Jordan, and with other donors
to ensure that Palestinians get the training and equipment they need.
The United States is determined to help the parties remove obstacles
to progress and move forward in practical ways, so we can seize this
moment for peace in the Holy Land.
In other parts of the Middle East, we're seeing small
but welcome steps. Saudi Arabia's recent municipal elections were the
beginning of reform that may allow greater participation in the future.
Egypt has now -- has now the prospect of competitive, multi-party elections
for President in September. Like all free elections, these require freedom
of assembly, multiple candidates, free access by those candidates to
the media, and the right to form political parties. Each country in
the Middle East will take a different path of reform. And every nation
that starts on that journey can know that America will walk at its side.
Progress in the Middle East is threatened by weapons of mass destruction
and their proliferation. Today, Great Britain, France, and Germany are
involved in a difficult negotiation with Iran aimed at stopping its
nuclear weapons program. We want our allies to succeed, because we share
the view that Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons would be destabilizing
and threatening to all of Iran's neighbors. The Iranian regime should
listen to the concerns of the world, and listen to the voice of the
Iranian people, who long for their liberty and want their country to
be a respected member of the international community. We look forward
to the day when Iran joins in the hopeful changes taking place across
the region. We look forward to the day when the Iranian people are free.
Iran and other nations have an example in Iraq. The recent elections
have begun a process of debate and coalition building unique in Iraqi
history, and inspiring to see. Iraq's leaders are forming a government
that will oversee the next -- and critical -- stage in Iraq's political
transition: the writing of a permanent constitution. This process must
take place without external influence. The shape of Iraq's democracy
must be determined by the Iraqis, themselves.
Iraq's democracy, in the long run, must also be defended by Iraqis,
themselves. Our goal is to help Iraqi security forces move toward self-reliance,
and they are making daily progress. Iraqi forces were the main providers
of security at about 5,000 polling places in the January elections.
Our coalition is providing equipment and training to the new Iraqi military,
yet they bring a spirit all of their own.
Last month, when soldiers of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment were on
combat patrol north of Baghdad, one of their Humvees fell into a canal,
and Iraqi troops came to their rescue -- plunging into the water again
and again, until the last American was recovered. The Army colonel in
charge of the unit said, "When I saw those Iraqis in the water,
fighting to save their American brothers, I saw a glimpse of the future
of this country." One of the Iraqi soldiers commented, "These
people have come a hundred -- 10,000 miles to help my country. They've
left their families and their children. If we can give them something
back, just a little, we can show our thanks." America is proud
to defend freedom in Iraq, and proud to stand with the brave Iraqis
as they defend their own freedom.
Three and a half years ago, the United States mourned our dead, gathered
our resolve, and accepted a mission. We made a decision to stop threats
to the American people before they arrive on our shores, and we have
acted on that decision. We're also determined 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. (Applause.)
This objective will not be achieved easily, or all at once, or primarily
by force of arms. We know that freedom, by definition, must be chosen,
and that the democratic institutions of other nations will not look
like our own. Yet we also know that our security increasingly depends
on the hope and progress of other nations now simmering in despair and
resentment. And that hope and progress is found only in the advance
of freedom.
This advance is a consistent theme of American strategy -- from the
Fourteen Points, to the Four Freedoms, to the Marshall Plan, to the
Reagan Doctrine. Yet the success of this approach does not depend on
grand strategy alone. We are confident that the desire for freedom,
even when repressed for generations, is present in every human heart.
And that desire can emerge with sudden power to change the course of
history.
Americans, of all people, should not be surprised by freedom's power.
A nation founded on the universal claim of individual rights should
not be surprised when other people claim those rights. Those who place
their hope in freedom may be attacked and challenged, but they will
not ultimately be disappointed, because freedom is the design of humanity
and freedom is the direction of history.
In our time, America has been attacked. America has been challenged.
Yet the uncertainty, and sorrow, and sacrifice of these years have not
been in vain. Millions have gained their liberty; and millions more
have gained the hope of liberty that will not be denied. The trumpet
of freedom has been sounded, and that trumpet never calls retreat.
Before history is written in books, it is written in courage -- the
courage of honorable soldiers; the courage of oppressed peoples; the
courage of free nations in difficult tasks. Our generation is fortunate
to live in a time of courage. And we are proud to serve in freedom's
cause.
May God bless you all.
[Empahsis added]
Sources: The White House |