    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [June 5, 2004]
    [Pages 992-994]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    June 5, 2004

        Good morning. This has been an important week for the future of
    Iraq, for the Middle East, and for America's security. On Tuesday in
    Baghdad, Iraq's new Prime Minister, Ayad Allawi,
    and United Nations Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi announced the members of Iraq's new interim
    government. Iraq's President is Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawr, an engineer from northern Iraq. There will also be
    two Deputy Presidents and a 33-member Cabinet.
        This interim government reflects new leadership drawn from a broad
    cross-section of Iraqis. The new government brings together men and
    women of varied backgrounds who represent Iraq's ethnic and religious
    diversity. Five were regional officials; six are women; and all are
    Iraqi patriots dedicated to building a brighter future for their
    country.
        Naming this new government advances our five-step plan to help Iraq
    achieve democracy and freedom as a united and Federal nation. It brings
    us closer to realizing the hope of millions of Iraqis, a fully sovereign
    nation with a representative government to protect their rights and
    serve their interests. It brings us closer to seeing a Middle East that
    knows the blessings of liberty, and it brings us closer to defeating a
    ruthless enemy that has killed thousands of innocents and still
    threatens the peace of the world.
        This new government will follow the political process outlined in
    the transitional administrative law and prepare Iraq for a national
    election no later than January of next year. And while the enemy will
    continue to spread violence and fear, our coalition will work in full
    partnership with the

    [[Page 993]]

    new Iraqi government to provide the security that will make that
    election possible. In that election, the people of Iraq will choose a
    transitional national assembly, the first freely elected, truly
    representative national governing body in Iraq's history.
        Iraq is on the path to democracy and freedom, and the international
    community is helping Iraq complete the journey. We're working with
    allied Governments and with Iraq's new leaders on a new United Nations
    Security Council resolution that will express international support for
    Iraq's interim government, reaffirm the world's security commitment to
    the Iraqi people, and encourage other U.N. members to join in the effort
    of building a free Iraq.
        And this month, I am traveling to foreign capitals and international
    summits to discuss with world leaders our common responsibility to help
    a free Iraq succeed. Yesterday I was in Italy, where I met with the Holy
    Father. I also met with Prime Minister
    Berlusconi and joined in marking the 60th
    anniversary of the liberation of Rome. Today in France, I will meet with
    President Chirac, and on the 6th of June, I
    will join him in commemorating the D-day landings at Normandy. From
    France, I will go directly to this year's G-8 summit in Sea Island,
    Georgia. This month, I will also attend the U.S.-EU summit in Ireland
    and the NATO summit in Turkey. These meetings provide an opportunity for
    world leaders to show our solidarity with the Iraqi people as they build
    a free and democratic government.
        The challenges of our time extend beyond Iraq. The war on terror is
    being fought on many fronts, and since September the 11th, we have seen
    terrorist violence from Morocco to Indonesia. Yet the center of this
    conflict remains the Middle East. If that region is abandoned to
    dictators and terrorists, it will be a constant source of violence and
    alarm, exporting killers of increasing sophistication and destructive
    power. If that region grows in democracy, prosperity, and hope, the
    terrorist movement will lose its sponsors, lose its recruits, and lose
    the festering grievances that keep terrorists in business. It is our
    work to win this struggle.
        We're now about 3 years into the war against terrorism. We've met
    great challenges, and there are more ahead. This is no time for
    impatience or self-defeating pessimism. We have work to do in the
    defense of our country and for the good of humanity, and by doing our
    duty and holding firm to our values, this generation will give the world
    a lesson in the power of liberty.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 12:40 p.m. on June 4 at the U.S.
    Ambassador's residence in Rome, Italy, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on
    June 5. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on June 4 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.
    In his address, the President referred to Lakhdar Brahimi, Special
    Adviser to the U.N. Secretary-General; Deputy Presidents Ibrahim al-
    Jafari and Rowsch Shaways of the Iraqi interim government; Pope John
    Paul II; Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy; and President
    Jacques Chirac of France. The Office of the Press Secretary also
    released a Spanish language transcript of this address.

    [[Page 994]]