George Walker Bush

“ So it's very important for this government and future governments to always be a strong and steady partner to non-governmental organizations and groups like the U.S. Institute of Peace.
The work of democratic development is the great cause of our time, and we shouldn't shy away from it. And we must be confident in our ability to help others realize the blessings of freedom. My big concern is that the United States becomes isolationist and nervous; we don't support those values that have stood the test of time. ”

“ And thirdly, there are nations like Afghanistan and Iraq, where we removed dangerous regimes that threatened our people, and now have a special obligation to help them build free societies that become allies in the fight against these extremists.
It's in America's vital interest to help all these nations combat ideologies of hate. It's in our security interest to eliminate safe havens for terrorists and extremists. It's in our national interest to develop institutions that allow them to govern their territories effectively and improve their lives. ”

“ Institutions, of course, include a democratic system of government, a vibrant free press, independent judiciary, a free enterprise system, places of worship where people are free to practice their faith. These institutions include an education system that provides citizens a link to the world, health infrastructure that combats plagues like HIV/AIDS and malaria, and women's organizations that help societies take advantage of the skills and talents of half their population. ”

“ We're transforming the United States military so we can deliver justice to the terrorists in a more effective way.
We're transforming America's capabilities to help poor and struggling societies become healthy and prosperous -- and we've seen those effective transformations through the Emergency Plan for AIDS, or Malaria Initiative, or the Millennium Challenge Account. The Millennium Challenge Account represents a different approach to development. ”

“ They can become, like thousands of other compassionate citizens, become soldiers in the armies of compassion by helping HIV/AIDS victims, or help educate people around the world. Or they can make the noble choice that has sustained freedom for generations and join the United States military. ”

“ A lesson we've learned is that civilian expertise is vital to strengthening the institutions of freedom. In Iraq and Afghanistan, we've developed an important tool to tap into civilian expertise called Provincial Reconstruction Teams. PRTs bring together civilian, diplomatic and military personnel. They move into communities that our military has cleared of terrorists. They help ensure that security gains are followed with real improvements in daily life by helping local leaders create jobs and deliver basic services and build up local economies. ”

“ One thing is for certain: that if we expect democracies to prevail, to marginalize the extremists, countries -- it requires countries to have good, strong democratic leaders, and the best way to encourage that is to have them come to our colleges and universities. We've made good progress about changing the student visa regime after 9/11. We've increased the number of students coming here. And it's in our interest that we continue to increase the number of students coming to study in the United States. ”

“ PRTs are uniquely suited to situations like Afghanistan and Iraq. In the future, civilian expertise will be needed in other countries where we do not have ongoing military operations. At the moment we lack the capability to rapidly deploy civilian experts with the right skills to trouble spots around the world. ”

“ We're helping nations across the world build these institutions, and we face three challenges as we do so. First of all, there are developing nations, many on the continent of Africa, that are facing extreme poverty and health epidemics and humanitarian catastrophes, and are therefore vulnerable to extremists who take advantage of chaos and instability. ”

“ The last G8, our partners stood up and made strong commitments to help Africa deal with malaria and HIV/AIDS. They have yet to make good on their commitments. And I will remind them it's one thing to make a promise, it's another thing to write the check, and the American government expects our partners to live up to their obligations. ”

“ Security has improved, as well as the economy. Political reconciliation is taking place at the grassroots and federal level. And as the Iraqi security forces are becoming more capable, our troops are beginning to come home under a policy of return on success. ”

“ Secondly, there are nations like Colombia and Lebanon and Pakistan that are facing transnational threats from drug cartels or terrorist networks that seek safe haven on their territory and threaten to overwhelm their institutions. ”

“ So we launched the surge -- 30,000 additional troops to work with Iraqi forces to protect the Iraqi people from terrorists, insurgents and illegal militias. Today, because we acted, violence in Iraq is down to its lowest point since late March of 2004. Civilian deaths are down. Sectarian killings are down. ”

“ It will be made up of American citizens with critical skills -- such as police officers and judges and prosecutors and engineers and doctors and public administrators. The Corps will give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time. ”

“ One element of the new office is an Active Response Corps, made up of civilian experts from many government agencies who deploy full-time to at-risk countries. This Corps will eventually include 250 personnel from the Departments of State and Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, AID, and other civilian agencies with relevant expertise. ”