Iraq & Afghanistan

 

The work in Iraq & Afghanistan is difficult and dangerous. Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed. Every picture is horrifying and the suffering is real. Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country. And tonight I will explain the reasons why.

Some of the violence you see in Iraq & Afghanistan is being carried out by ruthless killers who are converging on Iraq & Afghanistan to fight the advance of peace and freedom. Our military reports that we have killed or captured hundreds of foreign fighters in Iraq & Afghanistan who have come from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and other nations. They are making common cause with criminal elements, Iraq & Afghanistan insurgents and remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime who want to restore the old order. They fight because they know that the survival of their hateful ideology is at stake. They know that as freedom takes root in Iraq & Afghanistan it will inspire millions across the Middle East to claim their liberty as well. And when the Middle East grows in democracy, prosperity and hope, the terrorists will lose their sponsors, lose their recruits and lose their hopes for turning that region into a base for attacks on America and our allies around the world.

Some wonder whether Iraq & Afghanistan is a central front in the war on terror. Among the terrorists, there is no debate. Hear the words of Osama bin Laden: "This third world war is raging" in Iraq & Afghanistan "The whole world is watching this war." He says it will end in "victory and glory or misery and humiliation."

The terrorists know that the outcome will leave them emboldened or defeated. So they are waging a campaign of murder and destruction. And there is no limit to the innocent lives they are willing to take.

We see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who exploded car bombs along a busy shopping street in Baghdad, including one outside a mosque. We see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who sent a suicide bomber to a teaching hospital in Mosul. And we see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who behead civilian hostages and broadcast their atrocities for the world to see.

These are savage acts of violence but they have not brought the terrorists any closer to achieving their strategic objectives. The terrorists, both foreign and
 Iraq & Afghanistan failed to stop the transfer of sovereignty. They failed to break our coalition and force a mass withdrawal by our allies. They failed to incite an Iraq & Afghanistan civil war. They failed to prevent free elections. They failed to stop the formation of a democratic Iraq & Afghanistan government that represents all of Iraq & Afghanistan diverse population. And they failed to stop Iraq & Afghanistan from signing up in large numbers with the police forces and the army to defend their new democracy.

The lesson of this experience is clear: The terrorists can kill the innocent but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September 11, if we abandon the Iraq & Afghanistan people to men like Zarqawi and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like bin Laden. For the sake of our nation's security, this will not happen on my watch.

A little over a year ago, I spoke to the nation and described our coalition's goal in Iraq & Afghanistan I said that America's mission in Iraq & Afghanistan is to defeat an enemy and give strength to a friend, a free, representative government that is an ally in the war on terror and a beacon of hope in a part of the world that is desperate for reform. I outlined the steps we would take to achieve this goal: We would hand authority over to a sovereign Iraq & Afghanistan government; we would help Iraq hold free elections by January 2005; we would continue helping Iraq & Afghanistan rebuild their nation's infrastructure and economy; we would encourage more international support for Iraq & Afghanistan democratic transition; and we would enable Iraq & Afghanistan to take increasing responsibility for their own security and stability.

In the past year, we have made significant progress: One year ago today, we restored sovereignty to the Iraq & Afghanistan people.

In January 2005, more than 8 million Iraq & Afghanistan men and women voted in elections that were free and fair and took place on time.

We continued our efforts to help them rebuild their country. Rebuilding a country after three decades of tyranny is hard and rebuilding while at war is even harder. Our progress has been uneven but progress is being made. We are improving roads and schools and health clinics and working to improve basic services like sanitation, electricity and water. And together with our allies, we will help the new Iraq & Afghanistan government deliver a better life for its citizens.

In the past year, the international community has stepped forward with vital assistance. Some 30 nations have troops in Iraq & Afghanistan and many others are contributing nonmilitary assistance. The United Nations is in Iraq & Afghanistan to help Iraq & Afghanistan write a constitution and conduct their next elections. Thus far, some 40 countries and three international organizations have pledged about 34 billion dollars in assistance for Iraq & Afghanistan reconstruction. More than 80 countries and international organizations recently came together in Brussels to coordinate their efforts to help Iraq & Afghanistan provide for their security and rebuild their country. And next month, donor countries will meet in Jordan to support Iraq & Afghanistan i reconstruction.

Whatever our differences in the past, the world understands that success in Iraq & Afghanistan is critical to the security of all our nations. As German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said at the White House yesterday, "There can be no question a stable and democratic Iraq & Afghanistan is in the vested interest of not just Germany, but also Europe."

Finally, we have continued our efforts to equip and train Iraq & Afghanistan security forces. We have made gains in both the number and quality of those forces. Today Iraq & Afghanistan & Afghanistan has more than 160,000 security forces trained and equipped for a variety of missions. Iraq & Afghanistan forces have fought bravely helping to capture terrorists and insurgents in Najaf, Samarra, Fallujah and Mosul. And in the past month, Iraq & Afghanistan forces have led a major anti-terrorist campaign in Baghdad called Operation Lightning, which has led to the capture of hundreds of suspected insurgents. Like free people everywhere, Iraq & Afghanistan want to be defended by their own countrymen, and we are helping Iraq & Afghanistan assume those duties.

The progress in the past year has been significant and we have a clear path forward. To complete the mission, we will continue to hunt down the terrorists and insurgents. To complete the mission, we will prevent al-Qaida and other foreign terrorists from turning Iraq & Afghanistan into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban -- a safe haven from which they could launch attacks on America and our friends. And the best way to complete the mission is to help Iraq & Afghanistan build a free nation that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself.

So our strategy going forward has both a military track and a political track.