Ellington

George W. Bush left D.C. today to give a speech in Norfolk, Va. The transcript shows some interesting bits, including a heckler early in the speech:

THE PRESIDENT: In the past few months, we have seen a new terror offensive with attacks on London, and Sharm el-Sheikh, and a deadly bombing in Bali once again.

THE PRESIDENT: All these separate images of destruction and suffering that we see on the news can seem like random and isolated acts of madness.

At points in the speech, Bush intriguing to try to link the war in Iraq with 9-11 terrorism:

I

Some have also argued that extremism has been strengthened by the actions of our Coalition in Iraq—claiming that our presence in that country has somehow caused or triggered the rage of radicals. I would remind them that we were not in Iraq on September the 11th, 2001—and al Qaeda attacked us anyway. (Applause.) The hatred of the radicals existed before Iraq was an issue, and it will exist after Iraq is no longer an excuse. The government of Russia did not support Operation Iraqi Freedom—and yet the militants killed more than 150 Russian schoolchildren in Beslan. Over the years these extremists have used a litany of excuses for violence—the Israeli presence on the West Bank, or the U.S. presence in Saudi Arabia, or the defeat of the Taliban, or the Crusades of a thousand years ago. [...]

Meantime, the president who wants the Feds to monitor our library records talked a lot about defending our "freedom":

Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy is dismissive of free peoples—claiming that men and women who live in liberty are weak and decadent. Zarqawi has said that Americans are, "the most cowardly of God's creatures." But let us be clear. It is cowardice that seeks to kill children and the elderly with car bombs, and cuts the throat of a bound captive, and targets worshipers leaving a mosque. It is courage that liberated more than 50 million people from tyranny. It is courage that keeps an untiring vigil against the enemies of a rising democracy. And it is courage in the cause of freedom that will once again destroy the enemies of freedom. (Applause.)

Previous Comments

ID

171902

Comment

Bit more about our "comprehensive" plan: We didn't ask for this global struggle, but we are answering history's call with confidence, and a comprehensive strategy. Defeating a broad and adaptive network requires patience and constant pressure and strong partners in Europe, in the Middle East, and North Africa, and Asia and beyond. Working with these partners, we are disrupting militant conspiracies, destroying their ability to make war, and are working to give millions in a troubled region of the world a hopeful alternative to resentment and violence. First, we're determined to prevent the attacks of terrorist networks before they occur. We are reorganizing the government to give this nation a broad and coordinated homeland defense. We are reforming our intelligence agencies for the incredibly difficult task of tracking enemy activity -- based on information that often comes in small fragments from widely scattered sources, both here and abroad. And we're acting, along with governments from many countries, to destroy the terrorist networks and incapacitate their leaders. Together with our coalition partners, we have disrupted a number of serious al Qaeda plots since September the 11th -- including several al Qaeda plots to attack inside the United States. Our coalition against terror has killed or captured nearly all those directly responsible for the September the 11th attacks; we've killed or captured most of bin Laden's most senior deputies; al Qaeda's managers and operatives in more than 24 countries; the mastermind of the U.S.S. Cole bombing, who was the chief al Qaeda operations -- chief of al Qaeda operations in the Persian Gulf; we captured the mastermind of the bombings in Jakarta and Bali; a senior Zarqawi terrorist planner, who was planning attacks in Turkey; and many of al Qaeda's senior leaders in Saudi Arabia. Because of this steady progress, the enemy is wounded, but the enemy is still capable of global operations. Our commitment is clear: We will not relent until the organized international terror networks are exposed and broken, and until their leaders are held to account for their murder. (Applause.) Secondly, we're determined to deny weapons of mass destruction to outlaw regimes, and to their terrorist allies who would use them without hesitation. The United States, working with Great Britain and Pakistan and other nations, has exposed and disrupted a major black-market operation in nuclear technology led by A.Q. Khan. Libya has abandoned its chemical and nuclear weapons programs, as well as its long-range ballistic missiles. And in the last year, America and our partners in the Proliferation Security Initiative have stopped more than a dozen shipments of suspected weapons technology -- including equipment for Iran's ballistic missile program. This progress has reduced the danger to free nations, but it has not removed it. Evil men who want to use horrendous weapons against us are working in deadly earnest to gain them. And we are working urgently to keep weapons of mass murder out of the hands of the fanatics. Third, we're determined to deny radical groups the support and sanctuary of outlaw regimes. State sponsors like Syria and Iran have a long history of collaboration with terrorists -- and they deserve no patience from the victims of terror. The United States makes no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who support and those who support and harbor them -- because they are equally guilty of murder. (Applause.)

Author

ladd

Date

2005-10-28T12:14:11-06:00

ID

171903

Comment

MORE: Fourth, we're determined to deny the militants control of any nation, which they would use as a home base and a launching pad for terror. This mission has brought new and urgent responsibilities to our Armed Forces -- and to all of you. American troops are fighting beside Afghan partners with [sic] remnants of the Taliban and their al Qaeda allies. We are working with President Musharraf to oppose and isolate the militants in Pakistan. We're fighting the regime remnants and terrorists in Iraq. The terrorist goal is to overthrow a rising democracy, claim a strategic country as a haven for terror, destabilize the Middle East, and strike America and free nations with ever-increasing violence. That's their goal. Our goal is to defeat the terrorists and their allies at the heart of their power -- so we will defeat the enemy in Iraq. (Applause.)

Author

ladd

Date

2005-10-28T12:14:29-06:00

ID

171904

Comment

Does anyone know how many permanent military bases we are building in Iraq?

Author

Steph

Date

2005-10-28T12:21:35-06:00