[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
[June 26, 2004]
[Pages 1133-1135]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
June 26, 2004

    Good morning. This week I'm traveling to the U.S.-EU summit in 
Ireland, homeland to so many Irish Americans and one of the fastest 
growing and modern economies in the European Union. I will also be 
attending the NATO summit in Turkey, a proud nation that successfully 
blends a European identity with secular democracy and Islamic 
traditions.
    I will discuss with our European Allies our common struggle to 
defeat the forces of global terror, our common interest in the spread of 
prosperity, and our common

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efforts to help the people of Iraq secure for themselves a future of 
freedom.
    Next Wednesday, full sovereignty in Iraq will be in the hands of the 
free Iraqi people. As that day approaches, the enemies of freedom in 
Iraq are growing ever more desperate. Last Tuesday, a young man from 
South Korea, Kim Sun-il, was viciously murdered by 
terrorists. That coldblooded act demonstrated once again the evil nature 
of the enemy. Their barbaric violence is designed to destabilize Iraq's 
new government, intimidate the Iraqi people, and shake the will of our 
coalition. Yet, our will is firm. South Korean President Roh has reaffirmed his determination to send more troops to 
help rebuild Iraq. Iraq's leaders, in a daily display of courage, refuse 
to be deterred from their dream of democracy, stability, and prosperity 
for the Iraqi people.
    The international community has a responsibility to promote the rise 
of a free Iraq, and it is meeting that responsibility. Today the nations 
of the European Union pledged their support for the new government of 
Iraq. Next week, at the NATO summit, we will discuss Iraqi Prime 
Minister Allawi's request for NATO help in 
training Iraq's security forces. NATO has the capability to help the 
Iraqi people defeat the terrorist threat facing their country. As Iraq 
moves toward the transfer of sovereignty next week, NATO, the European 
Union, and the United States are united in our determination to help the 
people of that nation.
    The world's free nations also have a responsibility to advance the 
blessings of liberty that have lifted our own nations. Earlier this 
month, the nations of the G-8 pledged their energies and resources to 
working in partnership with the peoples of the broader Middle East to 
advance human dignity, freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and economic 
opportunity. The United States, the European Union, and NATO are looking 
beyond the borders of Europe to support the momentum of freedom in the 
broader Middle East.
    At these summits, we will seek to strengthen the security of our 
homelands from the threat of terror. We have taken steps to freeze and 
block terrorists' finances, make transportation safer, and improve 
information sharing. We will discuss ways to further improve 
transportation safety and border security. Travel between our nations is 
the lifeblood of our friendship, our economies, and our alliances, and 
that travel must be safe.
    One important way to make the world safer is to make the world 
better. The United States and Europe share a fundamental interest in the 
health of the global economy. Our trade and investment relationship is 
the largest in the world. It creates millions of jobs on both sides of 
the Atlantic. Open trade has the power to lift nations out of poverty, 
so we will reaffirm our commitment to free and fair trade and the 
removal of obstacles to global economic growth.
    We believe that freedom has the power to defeat poverty and 
hopelessness and ignorance. We believe the advance of freedom makes the 
world safer for all nations. And we believe that when free nations work 
together, freedom will always prevail.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:45 a.m. on June 25 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 26. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
June 25 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his 
address, the President referred to President Roh Moo-hyun of South 
Korea; and Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi interim government. 
The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
transcript of this address.

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