    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [July 29, 2006]
    [Pages 1472-1474]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    July 29, 2006

        Good morning. This week, the international community continued to
    build a political and security framework to confront the crisis in the
    Middle East, a crisis that began with Hizballah's unprovoked terrorist
    attacks on Israel. Secretary of State Rice
    traveled to Lebanon, Israel, and Europe, and met with key leaders to
    discuss a way forward. In Rome, she met with representatives of more
    than a dozen nations and international organizations. Our Governments
    agreed to provide relief to the people of Lebanon, using corridors for
    humanitarian aid that Israel is opening. We pledged to support Lebanon's
    revival and reconstruction. And we agreed to continue to work for a
    sustainable cease-fire that will stop the current violence, end the
    suffering of people in Lebanon and Israel, and move us toward a lasting
    peace.
        Yesterday I met with Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss our strategy to achieve these shared goals.
    We agreed that Lebanon's democratic Government must be empowered to
    exercise full authority over its territory. Militias in Lebanon must be
    disarmed; the flow of illegal arms must be halted; and the Lebanese
    security services should deploy throughout the country. We also agreed
    that a robust multinational force must be dispatched to Lebanon quickly.
    An effective multinational force will help speed delivery of
    humanitarian relief, facilitate the return of displaced persons, and
    support the Lebanese Government as it asserts full sovereignty over its
    territory and guards its borders. In addition, Iran must end its
    financial support and supply of weapons to terrorist groups such as
    Hizballah, and Syria must end its support for terrorism and respect
    Lebanon's sovereignty.
        Secretary Rice will return to the
    region this weekend, and she will work with the leaders of
    Israel and Lebanon to
    seize this opportunity to achieve lasting peace and stability for both
    countries. Next week, the United Nations Security Council will also

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    meet. We will work with our allies to adopt a resolution that
    establishes a framework to end the violence quickly and mandates the
    multinational force. This approach will demonstrate the international
    community's determination to support the Government of Lebanon and
    defeat the threat from Hizballah and its foreign sponsors. And this
    approach will make possible what so many around the world want to see:
    the end of Hizballah's attacks on Israel; the return of Israeli soldiers taken hostage by terrorists; the suspension of Israel's
    operations in Lebanon; and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
        As we work to resolve this current crisis, we must recognize that
    Lebanon is the latest flashpoint in a broader struggle between freedom
    and terror that is unfolding across the region. For decades, American
    policy sought to achieve peace in the Middle East by promoting stability
    in the Middle East, yet these policies gave us neither. The lack of
    freedom in that region created conditions where anger and resentment
    grew, radicalism thrived, and terrorists found willing recruits. We saw
    the consequences on September the 11th, 2001, when terrorists brought
    death and destruction to our country, killing nearly 3,000 innocent
    Americans.
        The experience of September the 11th made it clear that we could no
    longer tolerate the status quo in the Middle East. We saw that when an
    entire region simmers in violence, that violence will eventually reach
    our shores and spread across the entire world. The only way to secure
    our Nation is to change the course of the Middle East by fighting the
    ideology of terror and spreading the hope of freedom.
        So we have launched a forward strategy for freedom in the broader
    Middle East, and that strategy has set in motion a transformation that
    is changing millions of lives for the better. From Kabul to Baghdad to
    Beirut and beyond, we've seen the birth of democratic governments that
    are striving to serve their people, reject terror, and work for peace.
    We're also seeing those who oppose democracy fighting its progress with
    all the destructive power they can muster. We see this in Hizballah's
    attacks on Israel, in the suicide bombings that kill innocent Iraqis,
    and in Al Qaida's campaign of terror across the world.
        The enemies of freedom have shown their ability to set back our
    efforts with deadly attacks, but ultimately, they will fail. They will
    fail because courageous leaders in the region have stepped forward to
    defend freedom and set the Middle East on a better course. And they will
    fail because millions of people who have suffered decades of oppression
    and violence will choose to live in peace with their neighbors.
        In Iraq, we will help Prime Minister Maliki's unity Government defeat the terrorists, insurgents, and
    illegal militias and establish a democracy in the heart of the Middle
    East. In Lebanon, we will stand with the democratic Government in its
    efforts to rid the country of terrorists and foreign influence and bring
    about a better life for the Lebanese people. In the Palestinian
    Territories, we will work with President Abbas to support the forces of moderation and achieve our
    shared vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living
    side by side in peace and security.
        This moment of conflict in the Middle East is painful and tragic,
    yet it is also a moment of opportunity for broader change in the region.
    Transforming countries that have suffered decades of tyranny and
    violence is difficult, and it will take time to achieve. But the
    consequences will be profound, for our country and the world. When the
    Middle East grows in liberty and democracy, it will also grow in peace,
    and that will make America and all free nations more secure.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 2 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the
    White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on July 29. The transcript was
    made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on July 28 but was

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    embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his address, the President
    referred to Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom; Prime
    Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel; Prime Minister Fuad Siniora of Lebanon;
    Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured and held captive by militants
    in Gaza since June 25; Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, Israeli soldiers
    captured and held captive by militants in Lebanon since July 12; Prime
    Minister Nuri al-Maliki of Iraq; and President Mahmoud Abbas of the
    Palestinian Authority. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a
    Spanish language transcript of this address.