America must remain engaged - military policy - President George Bush speech - Transcript

US Department of State Dispatch, Dec 21, 1992

Then we've committed ourselves to expanding the democratic community by supporting political and economic freedom in nascent democracies and market economies. We're sharing this burden with the very nations America helped after World War II.

In Central and Eastern Europe, our enterprise funds and these other programs have helped develop a new political, economic, and civic infrastructure for nations long oppressed by Stalin's legacy. Now, the FREEDOM [Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets] Support Act will provide crucial help for reform in the lands of our former enemies.

In Latin America, the day of the dictator has given way to the dawn of democracy. This very day, our Vice President is taking part in a ceremony in El Salvador that caps the long effort to end the killing and give the people there the opportunity to live in peace.

Throughout the region, economic initiatives are helping a new generation of leaders reform their societies. The Brady Plan and our Enterprise for the Americas Initiative have opened up extraordinary possibilities for a new relationship with our hemispheric neighbors. Investment, free trade, debt relief, and environmental protection will nurture the home-grown reforms throughout Latin America.

We're strengthening the ability of the democratic community to deal with the political landmines that the Cold War has exposed--aggressive nationalism, earlier I mentioned ethnic conflict, civil war, and humanitarian crises. The United States has led the world in supporting a United Nations more capable with dealing with these crises.

All over the world---Nicaragua, Namibia, Angola, Cambodia--we've promoted elections not only as a goal, but as a tool, a device for resolving conflicts and establishing political legitimacy.

One of vital interest to every young person--in the area of security and arms control--we've stepped up patrol against the spread of weapons of mass destruction. The new Chemical Weapons Convention will ban chemical weapons from the arsenals of all participating states. We've strengthened multilateral export controls on nuclear and chemical and biological and missile-related technologies. In a mission without precedent, a UN inspection team is demolishing Iraq's unconventional weapons capability. We're going to support them every inch of the way.

Once implemented, the agreements we've negotiated will ban new nuclear states on the territory of the former Soviet Union. Above all, we've sought to erase nuclear nightmares from the sleep of future generations.

We underscored one key security principle with a line in the sand: naked aggression against our vital interests will be answered decisively by American resolve, American leadership, and American might. Our victory in the Persian Gulf was more than a blow for justice. It was a reminder to other would-be aggressors that they will pay a price for their outlaw acts.

We've been committed to building the basis for sustained international economic growth--for ourselves and for those nations of what were once the so-called Second and Third Worlds. The heart of our efforts has been the creation of a stronger and freer international trading market.