    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [September 2, 2006]
    [Pages 1595-1597]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    September 2, 2006

        Good morning. This week, I spoke to the American Legion in Salt Lake
    City. I thanked the military veterans for their lifetime of service to
    our country. And I gave them an update on the war that America is now
    fighting in defense of freedom in our time.
        We're approaching the fifth anniversary of the September the 11th
    attacks, and since that day, we have taken the fight to the enemy. Yet
    this war is more than a military conflict; it is the decisive
    ideological struggle of the 21st century. On one side are those who
    believe in freedom and moderation, the right of all people to speak,
    worship, and live in liberty. On the other side are those driven by
    tyranny and extremism--the right of a self-appointed few to impose their
    fanatical views on all the rest. We did not ask for this war, but we're
    answering history's call with confidence, and we will prevail.
        We are using every element of national power to defeat the
    terrorists. First, we're staying on the offense against the terrorists,
    fighting them overseas so we do not have to face them here at home.
    Second, we made it clear to all nations, if you harbor terrorists,
    you're as guilty as the terrorists; you're an enemy of the United
    States, and you will be held to account. And third, we have launched a
    bold new agenda to

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    defeat the ideology of the enemy by supporting the forces of freedom and
    moderation in the Middle East and beyond.
        A vital part of our strategy to defeat the terrorists is to help
    establish a democratic Iraq, which will be a beacon of liberty in the
    region and an ally in the global war on terror. The terrorists
    understand the threat a democratic Iraq poses to their cause, so they've
    been fighting a bloody campaign of sectarian violence which they hope
    will plunge that country into a civil war. Our commanders and diplomats
    on the ground believe that Iraq has not descended into a civil war. They
    report that only a small number of Iraqis are engaged in sectarian
    violence, while the overwhelming majority want peace and a normal life
    in a unified country. America will stand with the Iraqi people as they
    protect their new freedom and build a democracy that can govern itself,
    sustain itself, and defend itself.
        Working side by side with Iraqi forces, we recently launched a major
    new campaign to end the security crisis in Baghdad. This operation is
    still in its early stages, yet the initial results are encouraging. The
    people of Baghdad are seeing their security forces in the streets,
    dealing a blow to criminals and terrorists. According to one military
    report, a Sunni man in a diverse Baghdad
    neighborhood said this about the Shi'a soldiers on patrol: ``Their image
    has changed. Now you feel they are there to protect you.'' Over the
    coming weeks and months, the operation will expand throughout Baghdad
    until Iraq's democratic Government is in full control of the capital.
    This work is difficult and dangerous, but Iraqi forces are determined to
    succeed, and America is determined to help them.
        Here at home, some politicians say that our best option is to pull
    out of Iraq, regardless of the situation on the ground. Many of these
    people are sincere and patriotic, but they could not be more wrong. If
    America were to pull out before Iraq can defend itself, the consequences
    would be disastrous. We would be handing Iraq over to the terrorists,
    giving them a base of operations and huge oil riches to fund their
    ambitions. And we know exactly where those ambitions lead. If we give up
    the fight in the streets of Baghdad, we will face the terrorists in the
    streets of our own cities. The security of the civilized world depends
    on victory in the war on terror, and that depends on victory in Iraq, so
    America will not leave until victory is achieved.
        For all the debate, American policy in the Middle East comes down to
    a straightforward choice: We can allow the Middle East to continue on
    the course that led to September the 11th, and a generation from now,
    our children will face a region dominated by terrorist states and
    radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons. Or we can stop that from
    happening by rallying the world to confront the ideology of hate, by
    supporting the forces of liberty and moderation in the region, and by
    helping give the people of the Middle East a future of hope. And that is
    the choice America has made.
        The path to victory will be uphill and uneven, and it will require
    more patience and sacrifice from our Nation. Yet we can be confident of
    the outcome, because America will not waver and because the direction of
    history leads toward freedom.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 9:55 a.m. on August 31 at the Grand
    America Hotel in Salt Lake City, UT, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on
    September 2. The transcript was made available by the Office of the
    Press Secretary on September 1 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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