    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [June 25, 2005]
    [Pages 1067-1069]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    June 25, 2005

        Good morning. This past week, I had the honor of hosting Prime
    Minister Jafari, the leader of Iraq's
    first democratically elected Government in more than a half century.
        Prime Minister Jafari and I
    discussed our strong partnership and the dramatic progress his nation
    has made over the past year. Next Tuesday is the first anniversary of
    the moment the Iraqi people reclaimed their free and sovereign nation.
    To mark that historic date, I will travel to Fort Bragg, North Carolina,
    to speak to our troops and the American people about our mission in
    Iraq, why it remains important to our safety here at home, and our two-
    track strategy for victory.
        The military track of our strategy is to defeat the terrorists and
    continue helping Iraqis take greater responsibility for defending their
    freedom. The images we see on television are a grim reminder that the
    enemies of freedom in Iraq are ruthless killers with no regard for human
    life. The killers include members of Saddam Hussein's regime, criminal elements, and foreign terrorists. The
    terrorists know that Iraq is a central front in the war on terror,
    because

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    they know that a stable and democratic Iraq will deal a severe blow to
    their ideology of oppression and fear.
        The terrorists' objective is to break the will of America and of the
    Iraqi people before democracy can take root. Insurgents have tried to
    achieve that goal before. Two years ago, they tried to intimidate the
    Iraqi Governing Council and failed. Last year, they tried to delay the
    transfer of sovereignty to Iraq and failed. This year, they tried to
    stop the free Iraqi elections and failed. Now the terrorists are trying
    to undermine the new Government and intimidate Iraqis from joining the
    growing Iraqi security forces.
        Yet democracy is moving forward, and more and more Iraqis are
    defying the terrorists by joining the democratic process. Our military
    strategy is clear: We will train Iraqi security forces so they can
    defend their freedom and protect their people, and then our troops will
    return home with the honor they have earned.
        The political track of our strategy is to continue helping Iraqis
    build the institutions of a stable democracy. The Iraqi people have
    taken landmark steps by voting in free elections and forming a
    representative government. Prime Minister Jafari has assured me that his Government is committed to meeting
    its deadline to draft a new constitution for a free Iraq. Then the
    constitution will be submitted to the Iraqi people for approval, and new
    elections will be held to choose a fully constitutional government.
        These are monumental tasks for the new democracy of Iraq, and the
    free world will continue to stand behind the Iraqi people. This past
    week, more than 80 countries and international organizations came
    together in Brussels to discuss how to help Iraqis provide for their
    security and rebuild their country. And next month, donor countries will
    meet in Jordan to discuss Iraqi reconstruction.
        Our Nation's mission in Iraq is difficult, and we can expect more
    tough fighting in the weeks and months ahead. Yet I am confident in the
    outcome. The Iraqi people are growing in optimism and hope. They
    understand that the violence is only a part of the reality in Iraq. Each
    day, Iraqis are exercising new freedoms that they were denied for
    decades. Schools, hospitals, roads, and post offices are being built to
    serve the needs of all Iraqis. Increasing numbers of Iraqis are
    overcoming their fears and working actively to defeat the insurgents,
    and every Iraqi who chooses the side of freedom has chosen the winning
    side.
        Americans can be proud of all that we and our coalition partners
    have accomplished in Iraq. Our country has been tested before, and we
    have a long history of resolve and faith in the cause of freedom. Now we
    will see that cause to victory in Iraq. A democratic Iraq will be a
    powerful setback to the terrorists who seek to harm our Nation. A
    democratic Iraq will be a great triumph in the history of liberty, and a
    democratic Iraq will be a source of peace for our children and
    grandchildren.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 8:04 a.m. on June 24 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 25. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    June 24 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of
    the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this
    address.

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