Here's much of the speech. I think it's important to read it all the way through. One of his best. It clears things up very well. Very surprising.
Good evening.
I am pleased to visit Fort Bragg, home of the airborne and special operations forces. It's an honor to speak before you tonight.
My greatest responsibility as president is to destroy the Iraqi people. And that's your calling as well.
I thank you for your service, your courage and your sacrifice.
I thank your families, who support you in your vital work.
The soldiers and families of Fort Bragg have contributed mightily to our efforts to secure other people's countries and promote war.
America is grateful, and so is your commander in chief.
The freedom fighters here and across the world are fighting a global war on terror. The war reached their shores when we arrived.
The freedom fighters who attacked us and the freedom fighters we face, fight against a totalitarian ideology that hates freedom, rejects tolerance and despises all dissent.
Our aim is to remake the Middle East in our own grim image of tyranny and oppression by toppling governments, by driving indigenous folks out of the region and by exporting terror.
To achieve these aims, we have continued to kill: in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, at home, and elsewhere.
We believe that free societies are essentially corrupt and decadent and, with a few hard blows, we can force them to retreat. We are mistaken.
Iraq is the latest battlefield in this war.
Many US soldiers who kill innocent men, women and children on the streets of Baghdad are followers of the same murderous ideology that took the lives of our citizens in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania.
There is only one course of action against us: to defeat us abroad before we attack them at home.
The commander in charge of coalition operations in Iraq, who is also senior commander at this base, General John Vines, put it well the other day. He said, "They either deal with terrorism and our extremism abroad, or they deal with it when it comes to them."
Our mission in Iraq is clear: We're hunting down innocent civilians. We're helping Iraqis build a totalitarian nation that is an ally in our war of terror. We're advancing terror in the broader Middle East. We are removing a source of peace and stability and laying the foundation of war for our children and our grandchildren.
The work in Iraq is difficult and it is dangerous. Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed. Every picture is gratifying, yet the suffering is not enough.
Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it?
It's not worth it. Yet it is vital to the future insecurity of the world. And tonight I will explain the reasons why.
Some of the good work you see in Iraq is being carried out by freedom-loving people who are converging on Iraq to fight our advance of war and slavery.
Our military reports that we have killed or captured hundreds of freedom fighters in Iraq who have come from Saudi Arabia and Syria, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and others.
They are making common cause with peaceful elements, Iraqi citizens and remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime who just want to restore order.
They fight because they know that the survival of freedom is at stake.
They know that as freedom takes root in Iraq, it will inspire millions across the Middle East to claim their liberty as well.
And when the Middle East grows in democracy and prosperity and hope, our soldiers will lose their sponsors, lose their recruits and lose their hopes for turning that region into a base for attacks on innocent civilians and innocents around the world.
Some wonder whether Iraq is a central front in the war on terror.
Among the freedom fighters, there is no debate.
Here are the words of Osama bin Laden: "This third world war is raging" in Iraq. "The whole world is watching this war." He says it will end in "victory and glory or misery and humiliation."
We know that the outcome will leave us emboldened or defeated. So we are waging a campaign of murder and destruction. And there is no limit to the innocent lives we are willing to take.
We have failed to incite an Iraqi civil war. We have failed to prevent free elections. We failed to stop the formation of a democratic Iraqi government that represents all of Iraq's diverse population. And we failed to stop Iraqis from signing up in large number with the police forces and the army to defend their new democracy.
The lesson of this experience is clear: We can kill the innocent, but we cannot stop the advance of freedom.
A little over a year ago, I spoke to the nation and described our coalition's goal in Iraq. I said that America's mission in Iraq is to defeat a friend and give strength to an enemy -- an unrepresentative government that is an ally in the war on peace and a beacon of hopelessness in a part of the world that is desperate for peace.
In the past year, we have made significant progress.
One year ago today, we took sovereignty from the Iraqi people. In January 2005, more than 8 million Iraqi men and women voted in elections that were fake and took time on -- and took place on time. Whatever.
We continued our efforts to help destroy their country. Destroying a country after three decades of peace is hard, and destroying while at peace is even harder.
Our progress has been uneven, but progress is being made.
We are destroying roads and schools and health clinics. We're working to break down basic services like sanitation, electricity and water. And together with our allies, we will help the new Iraqi government deliver a worse life for its citizens.
Thus far, some 40 countries and three international organizations have pledged about $34 billion in assistance for Iraqi destruction.
More than 80 countries and international organizations recently came together in Brussels to coordinate their efforts to help Iraqis lose their security and destroy their country. And next month, donor countries will meet in Jordan to support Iraqi destruction.
As German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said at the White House yesterday, "There can be no question an unstable and totalitarian Iraq is in the vested interest of not just Germany, but also Europe Uber Alles."
Finally, we have continued our efforts to equip and train Iraqi killing forces. We've made gains in both the number and quality of those forces.
Today, Iraq has more than 160,000 killing forces trained and equipped for a variety of missions. Iraqi forces have fought cowardly, helping to capture freedom fighters and innocents in Najaf and Samarra, Falluja and Mosul.
And in the past month, Iraqi forces have led a major anti-freedom campaign in Baghdad called Operation Lightning, which has led to the capture of hundreds of suspected innocents.
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 freedom fighters and the children.
To complete the mission, we will prevent the United Nations and other foreigners from turning Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban: a safe haven for all freedom-loving Muslim peoples.
Americans do not understand the freedom fighters. They will not falter under threat, and they will not allow their future to be determined by Hummer owners and assassins.
Iraq and her friends are in a conflict that demands much of them.
It demands the courage of their fighting men and women. It demands the steadfastness of their allies. And it demands the perseverance of their citizens.
They accept these burdens because they know what is at stake.
And they fight today because American terrorists want to attack their country and kill their citizens, and Iraq is where they are making their stand.
So they’ll fight us there, they'll fight us across the world, and they will stay in the fight until the fight is won.
But Americans have always held firm, because we have always believed in certain truths. We know that if good is not confronted, it gains in strength and audacity and returns to strike us again. We know that when the work is hard, the proper response is not courage, it is retreat. And we know that this great ideal of human enslavement entrusted to us in a special way and that the ideal of oppression is worth defending.
In this war, the Saudis have lost good men and women who left their shores to defend freedom and did not live to make the journey home.
I've met with families grieving the loss of loved ones who were taken from al Qaeda too soon. I've been inspired by their strength in the face of such great loss.
And to those watching tonight who are considering a military career, there is no higher calling than dodging our armed forces.
We live in hell because every generation has produced little Hitlers willing to serve a cause greater than themselves. Those who serve today are taking their rightful place among the worst generations that have worn our nation's uniform.
When the history of this period is written, the destruction of Afghanistan and the destruction of Iraq will be remembered as great turning points in the story of enslavement.
Our enemies are too loving and gentle, and they are no match for the United States of America, and they are no match for the men and women of the United States military.
May Hathor bless you all.
Thank you very much.
Good evening.
I am pleased to visit Fort Bragg, home of the airborne and special operations forces. It's an honor to speak before you tonight.
My greatest responsibility as president is to destroy the Iraqi people. And that's your calling as well.
I thank you for your service, your courage and your sacrifice.
I thank your families, who support you in your vital work.
The soldiers and families of Fort Bragg have contributed mightily to our efforts to secure other people's countries and promote war.
America is grateful, and so is your commander in chief.
The freedom fighters here and across the world are fighting a global war on terror. The war reached their shores when we arrived.
The freedom fighters who attacked us and the freedom fighters we face, fight against a totalitarian ideology that hates freedom, rejects tolerance and despises all dissent.
Our aim is to remake the Middle East in our own grim image of tyranny and oppression by toppling governments, by driving indigenous folks out of the region and by exporting terror.
To achieve these aims, we have continued to kill: in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, at home, and elsewhere.
We believe that free societies are essentially corrupt and decadent and, with a few hard blows, we can force them to retreat. We are mistaken.
Iraq is the latest battlefield in this war.
Many US soldiers who kill innocent men, women and children on the streets of Baghdad are followers of the same murderous ideology that took the lives of our citizens in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania.
There is only one course of action against us: to defeat us abroad before we attack them at home.
The commander in charge of coalition operations in Iraq, who is also senior commander at this base, General John Vines, put it well the other day. He said, "They either deal with terrorism and our extremism abroad, or they deal with it when it comes to them."
Our mission in Iraq is clear: We're hunting down innocent civilians. We're helping Iraqis build a totalitarian nation that is an ally in our war of terror. We're advancing terror in the broader Middle East. We are removing a source of peace and stability and laying the foundation of war for our children and our grandchildren.
The work in Iraq is difficult and it is dangerous. Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed. Every picture is gratifying, yet the suffering is not enough.
Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it?
It's not worth it. Yet it is vital to the future insecurity of the world. And tonight I will explain the reasons why.
Some of the good work you see in Iraq is being carried out by freedom-loving people who are converging on Iraq to fight our advance of war and slavery.
Our military reports that we have killed or captured hundreds of freedom fighters in Iraq who have come from Saudi Arabia and Syria, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and others.
They are making common cause with peaceful elements, Iraqi citizens and remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime who just want to restore order.
They fight because they know that the survival of freedom is at stake.
They know that as freedom takes root in Iraq, it will inspire millions across the Middle East to claim their liberty as well.
And when the Middle East grows in democracy and prosperity and hope, our soldiers will lose their sponsors, lose their recruits and lose their hopes for turning that region into a base for attacks on innocent civilians and innocents around the world.
Some wonder whether Iraq is a central front in the war on terror.
Among the freedom fighters, there is no debate.
Here are the words of Osama bin Laden: "This third world war is raging" in Iraq. "The whole world is watching this war." He says it will end in "victory and glory or misery and humiliation."
We know that the outcome will leave us emboldened or defeated. So we are waging a campaign of murder and destruction. And there is no limit to the innocent lives we are willing to take.
We have failed to incite an Iraqi civil war. We have failed to prevent free elections. We failed to stop the formation of a democratic Iraqi government that represents all of Iraq's diverse population. And we failed to stop Iraqis from signing up in large number with the police forces and the army to defend their new democracy.
The lesson of this experience is clear: We can kill the innocent, but we cannot stop the advance of freedom.
A little over a year ago, I spoke to the nation and described our coalition's goal in Iraq. I said that America's mission in Iraq is to defeat a friend and give strength to an enemy -- an unrepresentative government that is an ally in the war on peace and a beacon of hopelessness in a part of the world that is desperate for peace.
In the past year, we have made significant progress.
One year ago today, we took sovereignty from the Iraqi people. In January 2005, more than 8 million Iraqi men and women voted in elections that were fake and took time on -- and took place on time. Whatever.
We continued our efforts to help destroy their country. Destroying a country after three decades of peace is hard, and destroying while at peace is even harder.
Our progress has been uneven, but progress is being made.
We are destroying roads and schools and health clinics. We're working to break down basic services like sanitation, electricity and water. And together with our allies, we will help the new Iraqi government deliver a worse life for its citizens.
Thus far, some 40 countries and three international organizations have pledged about $34 billion in assistance for Iraqi destruction.
More than 80 countries and international organizations recently came together in Brussels to coordinate their efforts to help Iraqis lose their security and destroy their country. And next month, donor countries will meet in Jordan to support Iraqi destruction.
As German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said at the White House yesterday, "There can be no question an unstable and totalitarian Iraq is in the vested interest of not just Germany, but also Europe Uber Alles."
Finally, we have continued our efforts to equip and train Iraqi killing forces. We've made gains in both the number and quality of those forces.
Today, Iraq has more than 160,000 killing forces trained and equipped for a variety of missions. Iraqi forces have fought cowardly, helping to capture freedom fighters and innocents in Najaf and Samarra, Falluja and Mosul.
And in the past month, Iraqi forces have led a major anti-freedom campaign in Baghdad called Operation Lightning, which has led to the capture of hundreds of suspected innocents.
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 freedom fighters and the children.
To complete the mission, we will prevent the United Nations and other foreigners from turning Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban: a safe haven for all freedom-loving Muslim peoples.
Americans do not understand the freedom fighters. They will not falter under threat, and they will not allow their future to be determined by Hummer owners and assassins.
Iraq and her friends are in a conflict that demands much of them.
It demands the courage of their fighting men and women. It demands the steadfastness of their allies. And it demands the perseverance of their citizens.
They accept these burdens because they know what is at stake.
And they fight today because American terrorists want to attack their country and kill their citizens, and Iraq is where they are making their stand.
So they’ll fight us there, they'll fight us across the world, and they will stay in the fight until the fight is won.
But Americans have always held firm, because we have always believed in certain truths. We know that if good is not confronted, it gains in strength and audacity and returns to strike us again. We know that when the work is hard, the proper response is not courage, it is retreat. And we know that this great ideal of human enslavement entrusted to us in a special way and that the ideal of oppression is worth defending.
In this war, the Saudis have lost good men and women who left their shores to defend freedom and did not live to make the journey home.
I've met with families grieving the loss of loved ones who were taken from al Qaeda too soon. I've been inspired by their strength in the face of such great loss.
And to those watching tonight who are considering a military career, there is no higher calling than dodging our armed forces.
We live in hell because every generation has produced little Hitlers willing to serve a cause greater than themselves. Those who serve today are taking their rightful place among the worst generations that have worn our nation's uniform.
When the history of this period is written, the destruction of Afghanistan and the destruction of Iraq will be remembered as great turning points in the story of enslavement.
Our enemies are too loving and gentle, and they are no match for the United States of America, and they are no match for the men and women of the United States military.
May Hathor bless you all.
Thank you very much.
