Highlights of President Bush’s Speech at the American Legion
George W. Bush gave a speech before the American Legion in Salt Lake City, Utah. He started the speech with some of the things he has done for veterans and then continued on why we need to stay involved in the Global War on Terror and how Iraq is a central part of that war. Here are some of the points of his speech as I watched it on Fox News.
President Bush has raised VA benefits by 75% since 2001.
Terrorists are enemies of freedom. They see freedom as a threat to their twisted view of Islam.
Veterans have seen this kind of war before when battling Nazism. This war will be long but will end in the defeat of the terrorists.
We are in a war we did not ask for but a war we can, will, and must win.
Iraq is a central front is the GWOT.
During the cold war we supported Middle Eastern dictatorships who did not like communism. These dictators repressed their people and terrorism was born. Terrorists have killed Americans at the World Trade center (twice), the Marine barracks in Lebanon, Khobar Towers, and the USS Cole. (He listed others) The lack of freedom in the ME made the area an incubator for terrorism. We do not treat terrorism as a law enforcement matter. We will face terrorism there so we do not to face them here in our own country.
Those who harbor terrorists will be on our list.
We will support democracy in the ME (Middle East). All people have the right to determine their own destiny. Freedom is a gift from the God Almighty. Freedom is the antitheses of terror.
We will support freedom and modernization. By doing this we will ensure our children are safe.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban supported and protected the terrorists who attacked us. Within a few weeks we defeated them and helped the people to have democracy. Our enemies saw progress, and fought against it. They attack the free institutions, they will fail. The future of Afghanistan belongs to the Afghan people.
In Lebanon, the UN forced Syria to leave. Hezbollah maintained a government within a government in the south. There they attacked Israel. The world community supported new democracy in Lebanon. Terrorists have no place in a free and democratic Lebanon.
Iran funds, arms and advises terrorists. They have had a hand in Iraq by arming and training the insurgents. They defy the UN. Nations are working together to stop Iran’s nuke program. It is time for Iran to make a choice, but there must be consequences and they must not be allowed to have nukes.
Iraq had an evil regime in Saddam Hussein. He defied UN, hid his WMD program, and shot at US and British planes enforcing no fly zones. Saddam is nowon trial. With the tyrant gone, the world is better off without him. Iraqi people have cast ballots, drafted a constitution, elected a government, in spite of the terrorists. Terrorists want to drive the US out of the ME to impose their dark vision on the ME. They use IEDs and assassinate leaders. Terrorists have failed to stop Iraqi democracy and they will fail to halt America or hinder their resolve.
The US commanders in Iraq say the country in not in a civil war which is only supported by a few people. 12 million voted in the last election. People have come a long way. Prime Minister Maliki says, “Iraqis have tasted freedom and they will defend it.” America is a patient nation as long as Iraq makes the necessary moves towards democracy. PM Maliki can count on the US.
I am giving the commanders a lot of latitude to fight this war. We are training Iraqi soldiers, police, and helping them become more capable. We will defeat the enemies of a free Iraq.
We can not expect immediate success. The American government is determined to help them succeed.
There is a lot of politics in Washington over the war in Iraq. Terrorists from all over the ME have come to Iraq to battle democracy. So much for a diversion. Iraq is central to GWOT. Pulling out now would be disastrous. Doing so would turn them over to Iran, and the terrorists would have new sanctuaries funded by oil. If the terrorists are not defeated there, then we will fight terrorists here in our streets. General Abizade says if we leave, they will follow us back here.
We will not leave until victory is achieved. It will require more sacrifice. And it will be a crushing defeat to our enemies. The world is watching, the forces of freedom will prevail. We have a choice. We can let the ME continue on its course and a generation from now the ME will have even more terrorists and WMDs as well. Or we can turn region into a democracy, a model for the rest of the ME to see, where neighbors do not attack their neighbors, where people have a voice in their government.
I see a day….when democracy will prevail. Freedom is always worth the sacrifice. Victory still depends on the resolve of the American people and patriots who are willing to fight for freedom. Will give our soldiers all the resources they need to accomplish their mission.
The President briefly spoke about Cpl. Adam Galvez which largest and longest applause. This guy is a true American hero. (as a side note, Adam’s brother father said it best, “You either support the war, or you don’t support the troops,” Tony Galvez said.)
This was a great speech the President gave. It was long on substance and short on hype. In brief, he said that Iraq is central to the GWOT, this will be a long war, a war we must win. I hope this new set of speeches President Bush gives this week will wake the American people up to what is at stake: the very security of the United States.
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