George W. Bush

“ When Saddam's regime fell, we refused to take the easy option and install a friendly strongman in his place. Even though it required enormous sacrifice, we stood by the Iraqi people as they elected their own leaders and built a young democracy. When the violence reached its most dire point, pressure to withdraw reached its height. Yet failure in Iraq would have unleashed chaos, widened the violence, and allowed terrorists to gain new safe havens -- a fundamental contradiction of our vision for the Middle East. ”

“ With these new realities in mind, America reshaped our approach to the Middle East. We made clear that we will defend our friends, our interests, and our people against any hostile attempt to dominate the Middle East -- whether by terror, blackmail, or the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. ”

“ I have looked into the eyes of courageous elected leaders from Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories. And I have been convinced that no region is more fundamental to the security of America or the peace of the world than the Middle East. ”

“ With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the primary threat to America and the region became violent religious extremism. Through painful experience, it became clear that the old approach of promoting stability is unsuited to this new danger -- and that the pursuit of security at the expense of liberty would leave us with neither one. Across the Middle East, many who sought a voice in the future of their countries found that the only places open to dissent were the radical mosques. Many turned to terror as a source of empowerment. ”

“ Places like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are emerging as centers of commerce and models of modernity. The regime in Iran is facing greater pressure from the international community than ever before. Terrorist organizations like al-Qaida have failed decisively in their attempts to take over nations, and they are increasingly facing ideological rejection in the Arab world.
Iraq has gone from an enemy of America to a friend of America, from sponsoring terror to fighting terror, and from a brutal dictatorship to a multireligious, multiethnic constitutional democracy. ”

“ Those who ask what this future will look like need only look around them. We see the new story of the Middle East in Iraqis waving ink-stained fingers, and Lebanese taking to the streets in the Cedar Revolution. We see it in women taking their seats in elected parliaments, and bloggers telling the world their dreams. ”

“ Trade and foreign investment have expanded. Several nations have opened private universities, and Internet use has risen sharply. Across the region, conversations about freedom and reform are growing louder. Expectations about government responsiveness are rising. And people are defying the condescending view that the culture of the Middle East is unfit for freedom.
There are still serious challenges facing the Middle East. Iran and Syria continue to sponsor terror, Iran's uranium enrichment remains a major threat to peace, and many in the region still live under oppression. ”

“ Libya sponsored terror and pursued weapons of mass destruction. And in Iran, the prospect of reform was fading, the regime's sponsorship of terror continued, and its pursuit of nuclear weapons was largely unchecked.
Throughout the region, suffering and stagnation were rampant. The Arab Human Development Report revealed a bleak picture of high unemployment, poor education, high mortality rates for mothers, and almost no investment in technology. Above all, the Middle East suffered a deep deficit in freedom. Most people had no voice in choosing their leaders. Women enjoyed few rights. ”

“ To stop this from happening, we resolved to help the region steer itself toward a better course of freedom, dignity, and hope. We are engaged in a battle with the extremists that is broader than a military conflict, and broader than a law enforcement operation -- it is an ideological struggle. And to advance our security interests and moral interests, America is working to advance freedom and democracy as the great alternatives to repression and terror. ”

“ As part of this effort, we are pressing nations across the region -- including our friends -- to trust their people with greater freedom of speech, worship, and assembly. We are giving strong support to young democracies. We are standing with reformers, dissidents, and human rights activists across the region. And through new efforts like the Middle East Partnership Initiative and the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative, we are supporting the rise of vibrant civil societies. ”

“ Elsewhere in the Middle East, Saddam Hussein had begun his third decade as the dictator of Iraq -- a reign that included invading two neighbors, developing and using weapons of mass destruction, attempting to exterminate Marsh Arabs and many Kurds, paying the families of suicide bombers, systematically violating United Nations resolutions, and firing routinely at American and British aircraft patrolling the No Fly Zone. ”

“ In a world where terrorists armed with box cutters had just killed nearly 3,000 people, America had to decide whether we could tolerate a sworn enemy that acted belligerently, that supported terror, and that intelligence agencies around the world believed had weapons of mass destruction. ”

“ We realized that we are in a struggle with fanatics pledged to our destruction. And we saw that conditions of repression and despair on the other side of the world could bring suffering and death to our own streets. ”

“ To earn the trust of Israeli leaders, we made it clear that no Palestinian state would be born of terror, we backed Prime Minister Sharon's courageous withdrawal from Gaza, and we supported his decision to build a security fence, not as a political border but to protect his people from terror. To help the Palestinian people achieve the state they deserve, we insisted on a Palestinian leadership that rejects terror and recognizes Israel's right to exist. ”

“ And we are encouraging Middle Eastern women to get involved in politics, start their own businesses, and take charge of their health through wise practices like breast cancer screening. Efforts like these are extending hope to corners of despair, and in this work of compassion and empowerment, America has no finer ambassador than my caring wife, Laura Bush. ”

“ We have signed Millennium Challenge agreements with Jordan and Morocco that grant American assistance in return for anti-corruption measures, free market policies, and investments in health and education. We are training Middle Eastern schoolteachers, translating children's books into Arabic, and helping young people get visas to study in the United States. ”

“ We are also advancing a broader vision that includes economic prosperity, quality health care and education, and women's rights. We have negotiated new free trade agreements in the region, supported Saudi Arabia's accession to the World Trade Organization, and proposed a new Middle East Free Trade Area. ”

“ President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert agreed to launch direct negotiations on a peace agreement, and nations around the globe, including many in the Arab world, pledged to support them. The negotiations since Annapolis have been determined and substantial. Secretary Rice has encouraged both sides by hosting a series of trilateral meetings. While the Israelis and Palestinians have not yet produced an agreement, they have made important progress. ”