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The
text on this sweater is from Bush's radio address on
September 2, 2006.
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.
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.
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