Radio Address by the President to the Nation, 09-30-06

WhiteHouse.gov ^ | 09-30-06 | George W. Bush

[Salvation]

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 30, 2006

President's Radio Address

      Audio
      In Focus: National Security
     

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Today I want to talk to you about a matter of national security that has been in the news -- the National Intelligence Estimate on terrorism. The NIE is a classified document that analyzes the threat we face from terrorists and extremists. Parts of this classified document were recently leaked to the press. That has created a heated debate in our Nation's capital, and a lot of misimpressions about the document's conclusions. I believe the American people should read the document themselves and come to their own conclusions, so I declassified its key judgments.

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The National Intelligence Estimate confirms that we are up against a determined and capable enemy. The NIE lists four underlying factors that are fueling the extremist movement: first, long-standing grievances such as corruption, injustice, and a fear of Western domination; second, the jihad in Iraq; third, the slow pace of reform in Muslim nations; and fourth, pervasive anti-Americanism. It concludes that terrorists are exploiting all these factors to further their movement.

Some in Washington have selectively quoted from this document to make the case that by fighting the terrorists in Iraq, we are making our people less secure here at home. This argument buys into the enemy's propaganda that the terrorists attack us because we are provoking them. Here is what Prime Minister Tony Blair said this week about that argument: "This terrorism isn't our fault. We didn't cause it. It's not the consequence of foreign policy." Prime Minister Blair is right. We do not create terrorism by fighting terrorism. The terrorists are at war against us because they hate everything America stands for, and because they know we stand in the way of their ambitions to take over the Middle East. We are fighting to stop them from taking over Iraq and turning that country into a safe haven that would be even more valuable than the one they lost in Afghanistan.

Iraq is not the reason the terrorists are at war against us. Our troops were not in Iraq when terrorists first attacked the World Trade Center in 1993, or when terrorists blew up our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, or when they bombed the USS Cole, or when they killed nearly 3,000 people on September the 11th, 2001. Five years after the 9/11 attacks, some people in Washington still do not understand the nature of the enemy. The only way to protect our citizens at home is to go on the offense against the enemy across the world. When terrorists spend their days working to avoid capture, they are less able to plot, plan, and execute new attacks on our people. So we will remain on the offense until the terrorists are defeated and this fight is won.

In my recent speeches, I've said we are in the early hours of a long struggle for civilization, and that our safety depends on the outcome of the battle in Iraq. The National Intelligence Estimate declares "perceived jihadist success there would inspire more fighters to continue the struggle elsewhere." It also says that "Should jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight."

Withdrawing from Iraq before the enemy is defeated would embolden the terrorists. It would help them find new recruits to carry out even more destructive attacks on our Nation, and it would give the terrorists a new sanctuary in the heart of the Middle East, with huge oil riches to fund their ambitions. America must not allow this to happen. We are a Nation that keeps its commitments to those who long for liberty and want to live in peace. We will stand with the nearly 12 million Iraqis who voted for their freedom, and we will help them fight and defeat the terrorists there, so we do not have to face them here at home.

Thank you for listening.

[Salvation]

For your reading and listening pleasure as well as your comments!

[Salvation]

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[gotribe]

Good. Bush is starting to associate dems and media with aiding our enemies.

[facedown]

Keep on swingin' at 'em, Mr. President.

[Salvation]

**Some in Washington have selectively quoted from this document to make the case that by fighting the terrorists in Iraq, we are making our people less secure here at home. This argument buys into the enemy's propaganda that the terrorists attack us because we are provoking them. **

Yes!

[Salvation]

The dims are running and swingin' at nothing. The president is pointing that out.

God get 'em, Mr. President!

[RightWhale]

Interesting for those who think the Pres is out of touch because he hasn't been talking about all these factors. It's a sure bet that anything any pundit or blogit comes up with the Pres is already well aware of.

[Salvation]

Oops!

Go get 'em, Mr. President!

[Anselma]

W: 8 more years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Paperdoll]

>God get 'em, Mr. President.<
>Oops! Go get 'em, Mr. President.<


With God's help!

[Salvation]

I think we all wish that were possible! LOL!

[Salvation]

LOL!

**With God's help.**
I wondered about hitting the Abuse Button on myself and having the moderator take it out, and then realized the little bit of truth in it. Thanks for stopping by.

[Christian4Bush]

LOL!

**With God's help.**
I wondered about hitting the Abuse Button on myself and having the moderator take it out, and then realized the little bit of truth in it. Thanks for stopping by.

Salvation, don't you dare apololize! (sic) That was classic, made me look at it twice! Kinda reminds me of the person who said, "It's not our job to forgive our enemies; only God can do that. Our job is to arrange the meeting."

[Salvation]

Hey, thanks for your thoughts. And this quote from someone you like:

"Either you are with us or you are for the terrorists."
~~George W. Bush

[Sid Spinach]

yes-

but Bush needs to come out and say it.

He needs to say leaking classified documents is treason-
and that Democrats latest talking points are the same things as AQ is saying.

He needs to come out swinging, using tact, and pointing out just how dangerous the democrats are.

He also needs to come out and point out that he never strayed from his plan, since 9-11. It was the dmeocrats that caused division, it was the democrats that changed objectives, and it is the democrats that keep leaking inforation, and creating phony stories to undermine the prez.

The prez has the bully pulpit for 2 more years.
He needs to get out there, and make a HUGE dent in the democrats, by exposing them, night and day, until the people get it.

All he has to do is use democrats voices themselves, in direct quotes of what they have said, in the past 6 years.
They have flip flopped, and are essentially against our success in Iraq.

and the NIE pretty much makes the case that we have to win there. The democrats do not want to win, they want to be french.

The white flag is the new symbol of the democrat party.
One could say, at least its not a red flag with hammer and sickle anymore, at least. Maybe.

[Salvation]

**He needs to say leaking classified documents is treason- **

Agree

**and that Democrats latest talking points are the same things as AQ is saying.**

He has said this, but not in these words. Maybe he needs to slam them in this way.

**He also needs to come out and point out that he never strayed from his plan, since 9-11.**

Agree here too.