    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [October 18, 2003]
    [Pages 1346-1348]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    October 18, 2003

        Good morning. During the decades of Saddam Hussein's oppression and misrule, all Iraqis suffered, including
    children.

    [[Page 1347]]

    While Saddam built palaces and monuments to himself, Iraqi schools
    crumbled. While Saddam supported a massive war machine, Iraqi
    schoolchildren went without textbooks, and sometimes teachers went
    unpaid. Saddam used schools for his own purposes: to indoctrinate the
    youth of Iraq and to teach hatred.
        Under Saddam, adult illiteracy was 61
    percent, and for women it was a staggering 77 percent. Iraq is a nation
    with a proud tradition of learning, and that tradition was betrayed by
    Saddam Hussein.
        As part of our coalition's efforts to build a stable and secure
    Iraq, we are working to rebuild Iraq's schools, to get the teachers back
    to work, and to make sure Iraqi children have the supplies they need.
        Six months ago, nearly all of Iraq's schools were closed, and many
    primary schools lacked electrical wiring and plumbing and windows.
    Today, all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are
    open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools in the country.
    Earlier this year, we said we would rehabilitate 1,000 schools by the
    time school started. This month, just days before the first day of
    class, our coalition and our Iraqi partners had refurbished over 1,500
    schools.
        Under Saddam, textbooks were so rare, six
    students had to share each one. So we're working with UNESCO to print 5
    million revised and modern textbooks free of Ba'athist propaganda and to
    distribute them to Iraqi students. By the end of the school year, there
    will be enough textbooks for each Iraqi student. And for the first time
    in years, they will get to read the work of great Iraqi writers and
    poets--much of it banned by Saddam's regime.
        We have assembled more than a million school supply kits, including
    pencils and calculators and note pads for Iraqi schoolchildren. We have
    distributed tens of thousands of student desks and teacher chairs and
    chalkboards. And to assure the health of students, we have delivered
    over 22 million vaccinations for Iraqi children.
        In many cases, American soldiers have intervened personally to make
    sure Iraqi schools get the supplies they need. Army First Lieutenant
    Kyle Barden of Charlotte, North Carolina, wanted
    supplies for the 11 schools in Laylan, Iraq. In response to Kyle's
    request for help, North Carolina schoolchildren, doctors, businesses,
    and others have donated thousands of dollars to buy notebooks and
    pencils and colored pens.
        Army Major Gregg Softy of the First Armored
    Division sent an e-mail to friends about Iraq schools. The response was
    overwhelming. Hundreds of packages were shipped, and a web site was
    established to encourage other Americans to contribute.
        All of our efforts to improve Iraqi education ultimately serve the
    cause of security and peace. We want young Iraqis to learn skills and to
    grow and hope, instead of being fed a steady diet of propaganda and
    hatred. We're making progress, but there is still much work to do. The
    request I made to Congress for Iraqi reconstruction includes funds for
    additional health and training projects. I urge Congress to pass my
    budget request soon, so this vital work can proceed.
        Our efforts will help Iraq reclaim its proud heritage of learning
    and bring it into the family of nations. An elderly man in Umm Qasr
    recently tried an Internet connection for the first time. He was stunned
    by the speed with which he could read newspapers from across the world.
    He said, ``Our society has been cut off from the world, and now we are
    reconnected.'' As Iraq rejoins the world, it will demonstrate the power
    of freedom and hope to overcome hatred and resentment. And this
    transformation will make our Nation more secure.
        Thank you for listening.

    [[Page 1348]]

    Note: The address was recorded at 8:25 a.m. on October 16 in Riverside,
    CA, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on October 18. The transcript was made
    available by the Office of the Press Secretary on October 17 but was
    embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of the Press
    Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.