Transcript: Bush Casts War on Terrorism in Historic Terms

Democratic institutions in the Middle East will not grow overnight. In America, they grew over generations. Yet the nations of the Middle East will find, as we have found, the only path to true progress is the path of freedom and justice and democracy.

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BUSH: America is pursuing our forward strategy for freedom in the broader Middle East in many ways. Voices in that region are increasingly demanding reform and democratic change, so we're working with courageous leaders, like President Karzai of Afghanistan who is ushering in a new era of freedom for the Afghan people.

We're taking the side of reformers who are standing for human rights and political freedom, often at great personal risk.

We're encouraging economic opportunity and the rule of law and government reform and the expansion of liberty throughout the region.

And we're working toward the goal of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace.

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Prime Minister Sharon's plan to remove all settlements from Gaza and several from the West Bank is a courageous step toward peace.

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His decision provides a historic moment of opportunity to begin building a future Palestinian state. This initiative can stimulate progress toward peace by setting the parties back on the road map, the most reliable guide to ending the occupation that began in 1967.

This success will require reform-minded Palestinians to step forward and lead and meet their road map obligations. And the United States of America stands ready to help those dedicated to peace, those willing to fight violence, find a new state so we can realize peace in the greater Middle East.

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BUSH: Some who call themselves realists question whether the spread of democracy in the Middle East should be any concern of ours. But the realists in this case have lost contact with a fundamental reality: America has always been less secure when freedom is in retreat; America is always more secure when freedom is on the march.

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All our commitments in the Middle East, all of the four commitments of our strategy are now being tested in Iraq. We've removed a state sponsor of terror with a history of using weapons of mass destruction, and the whole world is better off with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison cell.

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We now face Al Qaida associates, like the terrorist Zarqawi, who seek to hijack the future of that nation. We're fighting enemies who want us to retreat and leave Iraq to tyranny so they can claim an ideological victory over America. They would use that victory to gather new strength and take their violence directly to America and to our friends.

Yet our coalition is determined and the Iraqi people have made clear Iraq will remain in the camp of free nations.

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BUSH: The Iraqi people are moving forward in clear, steady steps with our support to achieve democracy. Iraq now has a designated prime minister, Iyad Allawi, a respected Iraqi patriot once targeted by Saddam Hussein's assassins.

I spoke with the prime minister yesterday. He recognized the sacrifice of brave Americans who have given their lives in Iraq, and he pledged that his country would be a friend and ally of America and peace.

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Along with the president and two deputy presidents, Prime Minister Allawi will lead a government of 33 ministers, which take office immediately and begin preparing for the transfer of full sovereignty by June the 30th.

America and Great Britain are now working with the United Nations Security Council and Iraq's new leaders on a resolution that will endorse the sovereign government of Iraq and urge other nations to actively support it.

The Iraqi people are looking to us for help and we will provide it. Many fine civilian professionals are now working in that country, helping Iraqis to rebuild their infrastructure and build the institutions of a free country.

Along with the United Nations, we will help Iraq's new government to prepare for national elections by January 2005. This free election is what the terrorists in the country fear most. Free elections are exactly what they're going to see.

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Our military is performing with skill and courage, and our nation is proud of the United States military.

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Many brave Iraqis have stepped forward to fight for their own freedom, and we're working closely with them to disband and destroy the illegal militia, to defeat the terrorists and to secure the safe arrival of Iraqi democracy.

BUSH: We're stepping up our efforts to train Iraqi security forces that will eventually defend the liberty of their own country.

At every stage of this process, before and after the transition to Iraqi sovereignty, the enemy is likely to be active and brutal. They know the stakes as well as we do.

But our coalition is prepared, our will is strong and neither Iraq's new leadership nor the United States will be intimidated by thugs and assassins.