    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [January 20, 2004]
    [Pages 81-89]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union
    January 20, 2004

        Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress,
    distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: America this evening is a
    nation called to great responsibilities, and we are rising to meet them.
        As we gather tonight, hundreds of thousands of American service men
    and women are deployed across the world in the war on terror. By
    bringing hope to the oppressed and delivering justice to the violent,
    they are making America more secure.
        Each day, law enforcement personnel and intelligence officers are
    tracking terrorist threats; analysts are examining airline passenger
    lists; the men and women of our new Homeland Security Department are
    patrolling our coasts and borders. And their vigilance is protecting
    America.
        Americans are proving once again to be the hardest working people in
    the world. The American economy is growing stronger. The tax relief you
    passed is working.
        Tonight Members of Congress can take pride in the great works of
    compassion and reform that skeptics had thought impossible. You're
    raising the standards for our public schools, and you are giving our
    senior citizens prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
        We have faced serious challenges together, and now we face a choice:
    We can go forward with confidence and resolve, or we can turn back to
    the dangerous illusion that terrorists are not plotting and outlaw
    regimes are no threat to us. We can press on with economic growth and
    reforms in

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    education and Medicare, or we can turn back to old policies and old
    divisions.
        We've not come all this way, through tragedy and trial and war, only
    to falter and leave our work unfinished. Americans are rising to the
    tasks of history, and they expect the same from us. In their efforts,
    their enterprise, and their character, the American people are showing
    that the state of our Union is confident and strong.
        Our greatest responsibility is the active defense of the American
    people. Twenty-eight months have passed since September the 11th, 2001--
    over 2 years without an attack on American soil. And it is tempting to
    believe that the danger is behind us. That hope is understandable,
    comforting--and false. The killing has continued in Bali, Jakarta,
    Casablanca, Riyadh, Mombasa, Jerusalem, Istanbul, and Baghdad. The
    terrorists continue to plot against America and the civilized world. And
    by our will and courage, this danger will be defeated.
        Inside the United States, where the war began, we must continue to
    give our homeland security and law enforcement personnel every tool they
    need to defend us. And one of those essential tools is the PATRIOT Act,
    which allows Federal law enforcement to better share information to
    track terrorists, to disrupt their cells, and to seize their assets. For
    years, we have used similar provisions to catch embezzlers and drug
    traffickers. If these methods are good for hunting criminals, they are
    even more important for hunting terrorists.
        Key provisions of the PATRIOT Act are set to expire next year. The
    terrorist threat will not expire on that schedule. Our law enforcement
    needs this vital legislation to protect our citizens. You need to renew
    the PATRIOT Act.
        America is on the offensive against the terrorists who started this
    war. Last March, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, a mastermind of September the 11th, awoke to find
    himself in the custody of U.S. and Pakistani authorities. Last August
    the 11th brought the capture of the terrorist Hambali, who was a key player in the
    attack in Indonesia that killed over 200 people. We're tracking Al Qaida
    around the world, and nearly two-thirds of their known leaders have now
    been captured or killed. Thousands of very skilled and determined
    military personnel are on the manhunt, going after the remaining killers
    who hide in cities and caves, and one by one, we will bring these
    terrorists to justice.
        As part of the offensive against terror, we are also confronting the
    regimes that harbor and support terrorists and could supply them with
    nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. The United States and our
    allies are determined: We refuse to live in the shadow of this ultimate
    danger.
        The first to see our determination were the Taliban, who made
    Afghanistan the primary training base of Al Qaida killers. As of this
    month, that country has a new constitution guaranteeing free elections
    and full participation by women. Businesses are opening. Health care
    centers are being established, and the boys and girls of Afghanistan are
    back in school. With the help from the new Afghan army, our coalition is
    leading aggressive raids against the surviving members of the Taliban
    and Al Qaida. The men and women of Afghanistan are building a nation
    that is free and proud and fighting terror, and America is honored to be
    their friend.
        Since we last met in this Chamber, combat forces of the United
    States, Great Britain, Australia, Poland, and other countries enforced
    the demands of the United Nations, ended the rule of Saddam
    Hussein. And the people of Iraq are free.
        Having broken the Ba'athist regime, we face a remnant of violent
    Saddam supporters. Men who ran away from our
    troops in battle are now dispersed and attack from the shadows. These
    killers, joined by foreign terrorists, are a serious, continuing danger.
    Yet we're making progress against them. The once all-powerful ruler of
    Iraq was found in a hole and now sits in a prison cell. Of the top 55
    officials of the

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    former regime, we have captured or killed 45. Our forces are on the
    offensive, leading over 1,600 patrols a day and conducting an average of
    180 raids a week. We are dealing with these thugs in Iraq just as surely
    as we dealt with Saddam Hussein's evil
    regime.
        The work of building a new Iraq is hard, and it is right. And
    America has always been willing to do what it takes for what is right.
    Last January, Iraq's only law was the whim of one brutal man. Today, our coalition is working with the Iraqi
    Governing Council to draft a basic law with a bill of rights. We're
    working with Iraqis and the United Nations to prepare for a transition
    to full Iraqi sovereignty by the end of June.
        As democracy takes hold in Iraq, the enemies of freedom will do all
    in their power to spread violence and fear. They are trying to shake the
    will of our country and our friends, but the United States of America
    will never be intimidated by thugs and assassins. The killers will fail,
    and the Iraqi people will live in freedom.
        Month by month, Iraqis are assuming more responsibility for their
    own security and their own future. And tonight we are honored to welcome
    one of Iraq's most respected leaders, the current President of the Iraqi
    Governing Council, Adnan Pachachi. Sir,
    America stands with you and the Iraqi people as you build a free and
    peaceful nation.
        Because of American leadership and resolve, the world is changing
    for the better. Last month, the leader of Libya voluntarily pledged to disclose and dismantle all
    of his regime's weapons of mass destruction programs, including a
    uranium enrichment project for nuclear weapons. Colonel Qadhafi
    correctly judged that his country would be better off and far more
    secure without weapons of mass murder.
        Nine months of intense negotiations involving the United States and
    Great Britain succeeded with Libya, while 12 years of diplomacy with
    Iraq did not. And one reason is clear: For diplomacy to be effective,
    words must be credible, and no one can now doubt the word of America.
        Different threats require different strategies. Along with nations
    in the region, we're insisting that North Korea eliminate its nuclear
    program. America and the international community are demanding that Iran
    meet its commitments and not develop nuclear weapons. America is
    committed to keeping the world's most dangerous weapons out of the hands
    of the most dangerous regimes.
        When I came to this rostrum on September the 20th, 2001, I brought
    the police shield of a fallen officer, my reminder of lives that ended
    and a task that does not end. I gave to you and to all Americans my
    complete commitment to securing our country and defeating our enemies.
    And this pledge, given by one, has been kept by many.
        You in the Congress have provided the resources for our defense and
    cast the difficult votes of war and peace. Our closest allies have been
    unwavering. America's intelligence personnel and diplomats have been
    skilled and tireless. And the men and women of the American military--
    they have taken the hardest duty. We've seen their skill and their
    courage in armored charges and midnight raids and lonely hours on
    faithful watch. We have seen the joy when they return and felt the
    sorrow when one is lost. I've had the honor of meeting our service men
    and women at many posts, from the deck of a carrier in the Pacific to a
    mess hall in Baghdad.
        Many of our troops are listening tonight, and I want you and your
    families to know: America is proud of you, and my administration and
    this Congress will give you the resources you need to fight and win the
    war on terror.
        I know that some people question if America is really in a war at
    all. They view terrorism more as a crime, a problem to be solved mainly
    with law enforcement and indictments. After the World Trade Center

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    was first attacked in 1993, some of the guilty were indicted and tried
    and convicted and sent to prison. But the matter was not settled. The
    terrorists were still training and plotting in other nations and drawing
    up more ambitious plans. After the chaos and carnage of September the
    11th, it is not enough to serve our enemies with legal papers. The
    terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States, and
    war is what they got.
        Some in this Chamber and in our country did not support the
    liberation of Iraq. Objections to war often come from principled
    motives, but let us be candid about the consequences of leaving Saddam
    Hussein in power. We're seeking all the
    facts. Already, the Kay Report identified dozens of weapons-of-mass-
    destruction-related program activities and significant amounts of
    equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations. Had we failed to
    act, the dictator's weapons of mass destruction programs would continue
    to this day. Had we failed to act, Security Council resolutions on Iraq
    would have been revealed as empty threats, weakening the United Nations
    and encouraging defiance by dictators around the world. Iraq's torture
    chambers would still be filled with victims, terrified and innocent. The
    killing fields of Iraq, where hundreds of thousands of men and women and
    children vanished into the sands, would still be known only to the
    killers. For all who love freedom and peace, the world without Saddam
    Hussein's regime is a better and safer place.
        Some critics have said our duties in Iraq must be internationalized.
    This particular criticism is hard to explain to our partners in Britain,
    Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Italy, Spain,
    Poland, Denmark, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, the Netherlands,
    Norway, El Salvador, and the 17 other countries that have committed
    troops to Iraq. As we debate at home, we must never ignore the vital
    contributions of our international partners or dismiss their sacrifices.
        From the beginning, America has sought international support for our
    operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and we have gained much support.
    There is a difference, however, between leading a coalition of many
    nations and submitting to the objections of a few. America will never
    seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country.
        We also hear doubts that democracy is a realistic goal for the
    greater Middle East, where freedom is rare. Yet it is mistaken and
    condescending to assume that whole cultures and great religions are
    incompatible with liberty and self-government. I believe that God has
    planted in every human heart the desire to live in freedom, and even
    when that desire is crushed by tyranny for decades, it will rise again.
        As long as the Middle East remains a place of tyranny and despair
    and anger, it will continue to produce men and movements that threaten
    the safety of America and our friends. So America is pursuing a forward
    strategy of freedom in the greater Middle East. We will challenge the
    enemies of reform, confront the allies of terror, and expect a higher
    standard from our friend. To cut through the barriers of hateful
    propaganda, the Voice of America and other broadcast services are
    expanding their programming in Arabic and Persian, and soon a new
    television service will begin providing reliable news and information
    across the region. I will send you a proposal to double the budget of
    the National Endowment for Democracy and to focus its new work on the
    development of free elections and free markets, free press, and free
    labor unions in the Middle East. And above all, we will finish the
    historic work of democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq so those nations can
    light the way for others and help transform a troubled part of the
    world.
        America is a nation with a mission, and that mission comes from our
    most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of
    empire. Our aim is a democratic peace, a peace founded upon the dignity
    and rights of every man and

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    woman. America acts in this cause with friends and allies at our side,
    yet we understand our special calling: This great Republic will lead the
    cause of freedom.
        In the last 3 years, adversity has also revealed the fundamental
    strengths of the American economy. We have come through recession and
    terrorist attack and corporate scandals and the uncertainties of war.
    And because you acted to stimulate our economy with tax relief, this
    economy is strong and growing stronger.
        You have doubled the child tax credit from 500 to $1,000, reduced
    the marriage penalty, begun to phase out the death tax, reduced taxes on
    capital gains and stock dividends, cut taxes on small businesses, and
    you have lowered taxes for every American who pays income taxes.
        Americans took those dollars and put them to work, driving this
    economy forward. The pace of economic growth in the third quarter of
    2003 was the fastest in nearly 20 years; new home construction, the
    highest in almost 20 years; homeownership rates, the highest ever.
    Manufacturing activity is increasing. Inflation is low. Interest rates
    are low. Exports are growing. Productivity is high, and jobs are on the
    rise. These numbers confirm that the American people are using their
    money far better than Government would have, and you were right to
    return it.
        America's growing economy is also a changing economy. As technology
    transforms the way almost every job is done, America becomes more
    productive and workers need new skills. Much of our job growth will be
    found in high-skilled fields like health care and biotechnology. So we
    must respond by helping more Americans gain the skills to find good jobs
    in our new economy.
        All skills begin with the basics of reading and math, which are
    supposed to be learned in the early grades of our schools. Yet for too
    long, for too many children, those skills were never mastered. By
    passing the No Child Left Behind Act, you have made the expectation of
    literacy the law of our country. We're providing more funding for our
    schools, a 36-percent increase since 2001. We're requiring higher
    standards. We are regularly testing every child on the fundamentals. We
    are reporting results to parents and making sure they have better
    options when schools are not performing. We are making progress toward
    excellence for every child in America.
        But the status quo always has defenders. Some want to undermine the
    No Child Left Behind Act by weakening standards and accountability. Yet
    the results we require are really a matter of common sense: We expect
    third graders to read and do math at the third grade level, and that's
    not asking too much. Testing is the only way to identify and help
    students who are falling behind. This Nation will not go back to the
    days of simply shuffling children along from grade to grade without them
    learning the basics. I refuse to give up on any child, and the No Child
    Left Behind Act is opening the door of opportunity to all of America's
    children.
        At the same time, we must ensure that older students and adults can
    gain the skills they need to find work now. Many of the fastest growing
    occupations require strong math and science preparation and training
    beyond the high school level. So tonight, I propose a series of measures
    called Jobs for the 21st Century. This program will provide extra help
    to middle and high school students who fall behind in reading and math,
    expand advanced placement programs in low-income schools, invite math
    and science professionals from the private sector to teach part-time in
    our high schools. I propose larger Pell grants for students who prepare
    for college with demanding courses in high school. I propose increasing
    our support for America's fine community colleges, so they can--I do so,
    so they can train workers for industries that are creating the most new
    jobs. By all these actions, we'll help more and more Americans to join
    in the growing prosperity of

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    our country. Job training is important, and so is job creation. We must
    continue to pursue an aggressive, progrowth economic agenda.
        Congress has some unfinished business on the issue of taxes. The tax
    reductions you passed are set to expire. Unless you act, the unfair tax
    on marriage will go back up. Unless you act, millions of families will
    be charged $300 more in Federal taxes for every child. Unless you act,
    small businesses will pay higher taxes. Unless you act, the death tax
    will eventually come back to life. Unless you act, Americans face a tax
    increase. What Congress has given, the Congress should not take away.
    For the sake of job growth, the tax cuts you passed should be permanent.
        Our agenda for jobs and growth must help small-business owners and
    employees with relief from needless Federal regulation and protect them
    from junk and frivolous lawsuits.
        Consumers and businesses need reliable supplies of energy to make
    our economy run, so I urge you to pass legislation to modernize our
    electricity system, promote conservation, and make America less
    dependent on foreign sources of energy.
        My administration is promoting free and fair trade to open up new
    markets for America's entrepreneurs and manufacturers and farmers, to
    create jobs for American workers. Younger workers should have the
    opportunity to build a nest egg by saving part of their Social Security
    taxes in a personal retirement account. We should make the Social
    Security system a source of ownership for the American people. And we
    should limit the burden of Government on this economy by acting as good
    stewards of taxpayers' dollars.
        In 2 weeks, I will send you a budget that funds the war, protects
    the homeland, and meets important domestic needs while limiting the
    growth in discretionary spending to less than 4 percent. This will
    require that Congress focus on priorities, cut wasteful spending, and be
    wise with the people's money. By doing so, we can cut the deficit in
    half over the next 5 years.
        Tonight I also ask you to reform our immigration laws so they
    reflect our values and benefit our economy. I propose a new temporary-
    worker program to match willing foreign workers with willing employers
    when no Americans can be found to fill the job. This reform will be good
    for our economy because employers will find needed workers in an honest
    and orderly system. A temporary-worker program will help protect our
    homeland, allowing Border Patrol and law enforcement to focus on true
    threats to our national security.
        I oppose amnesty, because it would encourage further illegal
    immigration and unfairly reward those who break our laws. My temporary-
    worker program will preserve the citizenship path for those who respect
    the law while bringing millions of hard-working men and women out from
    the shadows of American life.
        Our Nation's health care system, like our economy, is also in a time
    of change. Amazing medical technologies are improving and saving lives.
    This dramatic progress has brought its own challenge, in the rising
    costs of medical care and health insurance. Members of Congress, we must
    work together to help control those costs and extend the benefits of
    modern medicine throughout our country.
        Meeting these goals requires bipartisan effort, and 2 months ago,
    you showed the way. By strengthening Medicare and adding a prescription
    drug benefit, you kept a basic commitment to our seniors. You are giving
    them the modern medicine they deserve.
        Starting this year, under the law you passed, seniors can choose to
    receive a drug discount card, saving them 10 to 25 percent off the
    retail price of most prescription drugs, and millions of low-income
    seniors can get an additional $600 to buy medicine. Beginning next year,
    seniors will have new coverage for preventive screenings against
    diabetes and heart disease, and seniors just

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    entering Medicare can receive wellness exams.
        In January of 2006, seniors can get prescription drug coverage under
    Medicare. For a monthly premium of about $35, most seniors who do not
    have that coverage today can expect to see their drug bills cut roughly
    in half. Under this reform, senior citizens will be able to keep their
    Medicare just as it is, or they can choose a Medicare plan that fits
    them best, just as you, as Members of Congress, can choose an insurance
    plan that meets your needs. And starting this year, millions of
    Americans will be able to save money tax-free for their medical expenses
    in a health savings account.
        I signed this measure proudly, and any attempt to limit the choices
    of our seniors or to take away their prescription drug coverage under
    Medicare will meet my veto.
        On the critical issue of health care, our goal is to ensure that
    Americans can choose and afford private health care coverage that best
    fits their individual needs. To make insurance more affordable, Congress
    must act to address rapidly rising health care costs. Small businesses
    should be able to band together and negotiate for lower insurance rates,
    so they can cover more workers with health insurance. I urge you to pass
    association health plans. I ask you to give lower income Americans a
    refundable tax credit that would allow millions to buy their own basic
    health insurance.
        By computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical
    mistakes, reduce costs, and improve care. To protect the doctor-patient
    relationship and keep good doctors doing good work, we must eliminate
    wasteful and frivolous medical lawsuits. And tonight I propose that
    individuals who buy catastrophic health care coverage as part of our new
    health savings accounts be allowed to deduct 100 percent of the premiums
    from their taxes.
        A Government-run health care system is the wrong prescription. By
    keeping costs under control, expanding access, and helping more
    Americans afford coverage, we will preserve the system of private
    medicine that makes America's health care the best in the world.
        We are living in a time of great change in our world, in our
    economy, in science and medicine. Yet some things endure: courage and
    compassion, reverence and integrity, respect for differences of faith
    and race. The values we try to live by never change, and they are
    instilled in us by fundamental institutions such as families and schools
    and religious congregations. These institutions, these unseen pillars of
    civilization, must remain strong in America, and we will defend them. We
    must stand with our families to help them raise healthy, responsible
    children. When it comes to helping children make right choices, there is
    work for all of us to do.
        One of the worst decisions our children can make is to gamble their
    lives and futures on drugs. Our Government is helping parents confront
    this problem with aggressive education, treatment, and law enforcement.
    Drug use in high school has declined by 11 percent over the last 2
    years. Four hundred thousand fewer young people are using illegal drugs
    than in the year 2001. In my budget, I propose new funding to continue
    our aggressive, community-based strategy to reduce demand for illegal
    drugs. Drug testing in our schools has proven to be an effective part of
    this effort. So tonight I propose an additional 23 million for schools
    that want to use drug testing as a tool to save children's lives. The
    aim here is not to punish children but to send them this message: We
    love you, and we do not want to lose you.
        To help children make right choices, they need good examples.
    Athletics play such an important role in our society, but unfortunately,
    some in professional sports are not setting much of an example. The use
    of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and
    other sports is dangerous, and it sends the wrong message, that there
    are shortcuts to accomplishment

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    and that performance is more important than character. So tonight I call
    on team owners, union representatives, coaches, and players to take the
    lead, to send the right signal, to get tough, and to get rid of steroids
    now.
        To encourage right choices, we must be willing to confront the
    dangers young people face, even when they're difficult to talk about.
    Each year, about 3 million teenagers contract sexually transmitted
    diseases that can harm them or kill them or prevent them from ever
    becoming parents. In my budget, I propose a grassroots campaign to help
    inform families about these medical risks. We will double Federal
    funding for abstinence programs, so schools can teach this fact of life:
    Abstinence for young people is the only certain way to avoid sexually
    transmitted diseases.
        Decisions children now make can affect their health and character
    for the rest of their lives. All of us, parents and schools and
    government, must work together to counter the negative influence of the
    culture and to send the right messages to our children.
        A strong America must also value the institution of marriage. I
    believe we should respect individuals as we take a principled stand for
    one of the most fundamental, enduring institutions of our civilization.
    Congress has already taken a stand on this issue by passing the Defense
    of Marriage Act, signed in 1996 by President Clinton. That statute protects marriage under Federal law as a
    union of a man and a woman and declares that one State may not redefine
    marriage for other States.
        Activist judges, however, have begun redefining marriage by court
    order, without regard for the will of the people and their elected
    representatives. On an issue of such great consequence, the people's
    voice must be heard. If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will
    upon the people, the only alternative left to the people would be the
    constitutional process. Our Nation must defend the sanctity of marriage.
        The outcome of this debate is important, and so is the way we
    conduct it. The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches
    that each individual has dignity and value in God's sight.
        It's also important to strengthen our communities by unleashing the
    compassion of America's religious institutions. Religious charities of
    every creed are doing some of the most vital work in our country:
    mentoring children, feeding the hungry, taking the hand of the lonely.
    Yet Government has often denied social service grants and contracts to
    these groups, just because they have a cross or a Star of David or a
    crescent on the wall. By Executive order, I have opened billions of
    dollars in grant money to competition that includes faith-based
    charities. Tonight I ask you to codify this into law, so people of faith
    can know that the law will never discriminate against them again.
        In the past, we've worked together to bring mentors to children of
    prisoners and provide treatment for the addicted and help for the
    homeless. Tonight I ask you to consider another group of Americans in
    need of help. This year, some 600,000 inmates will be released from
    prison back into society. We know from long experience that if they
    can't find work or a home or help, they are much more likely to commit
    crime and return to prison. So tonight I propose a 4-year, $300 million
    prisoner reentry initiative to expand job training and placement
    services, to provide transitional housing, and to help newly released
    prisoners get mentoring, including from faith-based groups. America is
    the land of second chance, and when the gates of the prison open, the
    path ahead should lead to a better life.
        For all Americans, the last 3 years have brought tests we did not
    ask for and achievements shared by all. By our actions, we have shown
    what kind of nation we are. In grief, we have found the grace to go on.
    In challenge, we rediscovered the courage and daring of a free people.
    In

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    victory, we have shown the noble aims and good heart of America. And
    having come this far, we sense that we live in a time set apart.
        I've been witness to the character of the people of America, who
    have shown calm in times of danger, compassion for one another, and
    toughness for the long haul. All of us have been partners in a great
    enterprise. And even some of the youngest understand that we are living
    in historic times. Last month a girl in Lincoln, Rhode Island, sent me a
    letter. It began, ``Dear George W. Bush. If there's anything you know I,
    Ashley Pearson, age 10, can do to help
    anyone, please send me a letter and tell me what I can do to save our
    country.'' She added this P.S.: ``If you can send a letter to the
    troops, please put, `Ashley Pearson believes in you.'''
        Tonight, Ashley, your message to our
    troops has just been conveyed. And yes, you have some duties yourself:
    Study hard in school; listen to your mom or dad; help someone in need;
    and when you and your friends see a man or woman in uniform, say,
    ``Thank you.'' And Ashley, while you do your part, all of us here in
    this great Chamber will do our best to keep you and the rest of America
    safe and free.
        My fellow citizens, we now move forward with confidence and faith.
    Our Nation is strong and steadfast. The cause we serve is right, because
    it is the cause of all mankind. The momentum of freedom in our world is
    unmistakable, and it is not carried forward by our power alone. We can
    trust in that greater power who guides the unfolding of the years. And
    in all that is to come, we can know that His purposes are just and true.
        May God continue to bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:12 p.m. in the House Chamber of the
    Capitol. In his remarks, he referred to Khalid Sheik Mohammed, senior Al
    Qaida leader responsible for planning the September 11 attack, who was
    captured in Pakistan on March 1, 2003; Nurjaman Riduan Isamuddin (known
    as Hambali), Al Qaida's chief operational planner in Southeast Asia;
    former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-
    Qadhafi, leader of Libya. The Office of the Press Secretary also
    released a Spanish language transcript of this address.