From the Oval Office, With Love

Transcript of President Bush's speech

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Thank you and good evening. I am pleased to visit Fort Bragg, home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces. It is an honor to speak before you tonight.

I have a record in office. And all Americans have seen that record. September the 4th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers. It's a day I will never forget.

Many terrorists who kill innocent men, women and children on the streets of Baghdad are followers of the same murderous ideology that took the lives of our citizens in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. There is only one course of action against them: to defeat them abroad before they attack us at home.

I'm not the expert on how the Iraqi people think, because I live in America, where it's nice and safe and secure.

It's in our country's interests to find those who would do harm to us and get them out of harm's way.

Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.

You see, not only did the attacks help accelerate a recession, the attacks reminded us that we are at war.

But Iraq has — have got people there that are willing to kill, and they're hard-nosed killers. And we will work with the Iraqis to secure their future.

I recognize that Americans want our troops to come home as quickly as possible. So do I.

It's a time of sorrow and sadness when we lose a loss of life.

Who could have possibly envisioned an erection — an election in Iraq at this point in history?

I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein.

And the second way to defeat the terrorists is to spread freedom. You see, the best way to defeat a society that is -- doesn't have hope, a society where people become so angry they're willing to become suiciders, is to spread freedom, is to spread democracy.

Let me put it to you bluntly. In a changing world, we want more people to have control over your own life.

Thank you. And may God bless America.

* I might have mixed up some of tonight's speech with some other quotes by the President, but they are all actual quotes...