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12/22/2005
Iraq After the Vote
President George W. Bush’s address to the nation, 12/18/05
Three days ago, in large numbers, Iraqis went to the polls to
choose their own leaders – a landmark day in the history of
liberty. In the coming weeks, the ballots will be counted, a new
government formed, and a people who suffered in tyranny for so
long will become full members of the free world.
This election will not mean the end of violence. But it is the
beginning of something new: constitutional democracy at the
heart of the Middle East. And this vote – 6,000 miles away, in a
vital region of the world – means that America has an ally of
growing strength in the fight against terror.
All who had a part in this achievement – Iraqis, and Americans
and our coalition partners – can be proud. Yet our work is not
done. There is more testing and sacrifice before us. I know
many Americans have questions about the cost and direction of
this war. So tonight I want to talk to you about how far we have
come in Iraq, and the path that lies ahead.
From this office, nearly three years ago, I announced the start of
military operations in Iraq. Our coalition confronted a regime
that defied United Nations Security Council resolutions, violated
a cease-fire agreement, sponsored terrorism, and possessed, we
believed, weapons of mass destruction. After the swift fall of
Baghdad, we found mass graves filled by a dictator; we found
some capacity to restart programs to produce weapons of mass
destruction, but we did not find those weapons.
It is true that Saddam Hussein had a history of pursuing and
using weapons of mass destruction. It is true that he
systematically concealed those programs, and blocked the work
of U.N. weapons inspectors. It is true that many nations believed
that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. But much of the
intelligence turned out to be wrong. As your President, I am
responsible for the decision to go into Iraq. Yet it was right to
remove Saddam Hussein from power.
He was given an ultimatum – and he made his choice for war.
And the result of that war was to rid the world of a murderous
dictator who menaced his people, invaded his neighbors, and
declared America to be his enemy. Saddam Hussein, captured
and jailed, is still the same raging tyrant – only now without a
throne. His power to harm a single man, woman, or child is gone
forever. And the world is better for it.
Since the removal of Saddam, this war, like other wars in our
history, has been difficult. The mission of American troops in
urban raids and desert patrols, fighting Saddam loyalists and
foreign terrorists, has brought danger and suffering and loss.
This loss has caused sorrow for our whole nation – and it has led
some to ask if we are creating more problems than we’re solving.
That is an important question, and the answer depends on your
view of the war on terror. If you think the terrorists would
become peaceful if only America would stop provoking them,
then it might make sense to leave them alone.
This is not the threat I see. I see a global terrorist movement that
exploits Islam in the service of radical political aims – a vision in
which books are burned, and women are oppressed, and all
dissent is crushed. Terrorist operatives conduct their campaign
of murder with a set of declared and specific goals – to de-
moralize free nations, to drive us out of the Middle East, to
spread an empire of fear across that region, and to wage a
perpetual war against America and our friends. These terrorists
view the world as a giant battlefield – and they seek to attack us
wherever they can. This has attracted al Qaeda to Iraq, where
they are attempting to frighten and intimidate America into a
policy of retreat.
The terrorists do not merely object to American actions in Iraq
and elsewhere, they object to our deepest values and our way of
life. And if we were not fighting them in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in
Southeast Asia, and in other places, the terrorists would not be
peaceful citizens, they would be on the offense, and headed our
way.
September the 11th, 2001 required us to take every emerging
threat to our country seriously, and it shattered the illusion that
terrorists attack us only after we provoke them. On that day, we
were not in Iraq, we were not in Afghanistan, but the terrorists
attacked us anyway – and killed nearly 3,000 men, women, and
children in our own country. My conviction comes down to this:
We do not create terrorism by fighting the terrorists. We invite
terrorism by ignoring them. And we will defeat the terrorists by
capturing and killing them abroad, removing their safe havens,
and strengthening new allies like Iraq and Afghanistan in the
fight we share.
The work in Iraq has been especially difficult – more difficult
than we expected. Reconstruction efforts and the training of
Iraqi security forces started more slowly than we hoped. We
continue to see violence and suffering, caused by an enemy that
is determined and brutal, unconstrained by conscience or the
rules of war.
Some look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude that the war is
lost, and not worth another dime or another day. I don’t believe
that. Our military commanders do not believe that. Our troops
in the field, who bear the burden and make the sacrifice, do not
believe that America has lost. And not even the terrorists believe
it. We know from their own communications that they feel a
tightening noose, and fear the rise of a democratic Iraq.
The terrorists will continue to have the coward’s power to plant
roadside bombs and recruit suicide bombers. And you will
continue to see the grim results on the evening news. This
proves that the war is difficult – it doesn’t mean that we are
losing. Behind the images of chaos that terrorists create for the
cameras, we are making steady gains with a clear objective in
view.
America, our coalition, and Iraqi leaders are working toward the
same goal- a democratic Iraq that can defend itself, that will
never again be a safe haven for terrorists, and that will serve as a
model of freedom for the Middle East.
We have put in place a strategy to achieve this goal – a strategy
I’ve been discussing in detail over the last few weeks. This plan
has three critical elements.
First, our coalition will remain on the offense – finding and
clearing out the enemy, transferring control of more territory to
Iraqi units, and building up the Iraqi security forces so they can
increasingly lead the fight. At this time last year, there were only
a handful of Iraqi army and police battalions ready for combat.
Now, there are more than 125 Iraqi combat battalions fighting
the enemy, more than 50 are taking the lead, and we have
transferred more than a dozen military bases to Iraqi control.
Second, we’re helping the Iraqi government establish the
institutions of a unified and lasting democracy, in which all of
Iraq’s people are included and represented. Here also, the news
is encouraging. Three days ago, more than 10 million Iraqis
went to the polls – including many Sunni Iraqis who had
boycotted national elections last January. Iraqis of every
background are recognizing that democracy is the future of the
country they love – and they want their voices heard. One Iraqi,
after dipping his finger in the purple ink as he cast his ballot,
stuck his finger in the air and said: “This is a thorn in the eyes of
the terrorists.” Another voter was asked, “Are you Sunni or
Shia?” And he responded, “I am Iraqi.”
Third, after a number of setbacks, our coalition is moving
forward with a reconstruction plan to revive Iraq’s economy and
infrastructure – and to give Iraqis confidence that a free life will
be a better life. Today in Iraq, seven in 10 Iraqis say their lives
are going well, and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve
even more in the year ahead. Despite the violence, Iraqis are
optimistic – and that optimism is justified.
In all three aspects of our strategy – security, democracy, and
reconstruction – we have learned from our experiences, and fixed
what has not worked. We will continue to listen to honest
criticism, and make every change that will help us complete the
mission. Yet there is a difference between honest critics who
recognize what is wrong, and defeatists who refuse to see that
anything is right.
Defeatism may have its partisan uses, but it is not justified by the
facts. For every scene of destruction in Iraq, there are more
scenes of rebuilding and hope. For every life lost, there are
countless more lives reclaimed. And for every terrorist working
to stop freedom in Iraq, there are many more Iraqis and
Americans working to defeat them. My fellow citizens: Not only
can we win the war in Iraq, we are winning the war in Iraq.
It is also important for every American to understand the
consequences of pulling out of Iraq before our work is done. We
would abandon our Iraqi friends and signal to the world that
America cannot be trusted to keep its word. We would
undermine the morale of our troops by betraying the cause for
which they have sacrificed. We would cause the tyrants in the
Middle East to laugh at our failed resolve, and tighten their
repressive grip. We would hand Iraq over to enemies who have
pledged to attack us and the global terrorist movement would be
emboldened and more dangerous than ever before. To retreat
before victory would be an act of recklessness and dishonor, and
I will not allow it.
We’re approaching a new year, and there are certain things all
Americans can expect to see. We will see more sacrifice – from
our military, their families, and the Iraqi people. We will see a
concerted effort to improve Iraqi police forces and fight
corruption. We will see the Iraqi military gaining strength and
confidence, and the democratic process moving forward. As
these achievements come, it should require fewer American
troops to accomplish our mission. I will make decisions on troop
levels based on the progress we see on the ground and the advice
of our military leaders – not based on artificial timetables set by
politicians in Washington. Our forces in Iraq are on the road to
victory – and that is the road that will take them home.
In the months ahead, all Americans will have a part in the
success of this war. Members of Congress will need to provide
resources for our military. Our men and women in uniform, who
have done so much already, will continue their brave and urgent
work. And tonight, I ask all of you listening to carefully
consider the stakes of this war, to realize how far we have come
and the good we are doing, and to have patience in this difficult,
noble, and necessary cause.
I also want to speak to those of you who did not support my
decision to send troops to Iraq: I have heard your disagreement,
and I know how deeply it is felt. Yet now there are only two
options before our country – victory or defeat. And the need for
victory is larger than any president or political party, because the
security of our people is in the balance. I don’t expect you to
support everything I do, but tonight I have a request: Do not give
in to despair, and do not give up on this fight for freedom.
Americans can expect some things of me, as well. My most
solemn responsibility is to protect our nation, and that requires
me to make some tough decisions. I see the consequences of
those decisions when I meet wounded servicemen and women
who cannot leave their hospital beds, but summon the strength to
look me in the eye and say they would do it all over again. I see
the consequences when I talk to parents who miss a child so
much – but tell me he loved being a soldier, he believed in his
mission, and, Mr. President, finish the job.
I know that some of my decisions have led to terrible loss – and
not one of those decisions has been taken lightly. I know this
war is controversial – yet being your President requires doing
what I believe is right and accepting the consequences. And I
have never been more certain that America’s actions in Iraq are
essential to the security of our citizens, and will lay the
foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren.
Next week, Americans will gather to celebrate Christmas and
Hanukkah. Many families will be praying for loved ones
spending this season far from home – in Iraq, Afghanistan, and
other dangerous places. Our nation joins in those prayers. We
pray for the safety and strength of our troops. We trust, with
them, in a love that conquers all fear, in a light that reaches the
darkest corners of the Earth. And we remember the words of the
Christmas carol, written during the Civil War: “God is not dead,
nor does He sleep; the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with
peace on Earth, goodwill to men.”
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Hott Spotts will return Jan. 5.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.
Brian Trumbore
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