The world after the Persian Gulf War - George Bush address - Transcript

US Department of State Dispatch, Feb, 1992

The Gulf was put this new world to its first test. And, my fellow Americans, we passed that test. For the sake of our principles, for the sake of the Kuwaiti people, we stood our ground. Because the world would not look the other way, Ambassador [to the US Saud Nasir] al-Sabah, tonight, Kuwait is free. And we are very happy about that.

Tonight, as our troops begin to come home, let us recognize that the hard work of freedom still calls us forward. We've learned the hard lessons of history. The victory over Iraq was not waged as a "war to end all wars." Even the new world order cannot guarantee an era of perpetual peace. But enduring peace must be our mission.

Challenges at Home

Our success in the Gulf will shape not only the world order we seek but our mission here at home. In the war just ended, there were clear-cut objectives, timetables, and, above all, an overriding imperative to achieve results. We must bring that same sense of self-discipline, that same sense of urgency, to the way we meet challenges here at home. In my State of the Union address and in my budget, I defined a comprehensive agenda to prepare for the next American century.

Our first priority is to get this economy rolling again. The fear and uncertainty caused by the Gulf crisis were understandable. But now that the war is over, oil prices are down, interest rates are down, and confidence is rightly back. Americans can move forward--to lend, spend, and invest in this, the strongest economy on earth.

We must also enact the legislation that is key to building a better America. For example, in 1990, we enacted a historic Clean Air Act. And, now, we've proposed a national energy strategy. We passed a child care bill that put power in the hands of parents. And, today, we're ready to do the same thing with our schools and expand choice in education. We passed a crime bill that made a useful start in fighting crime and drugs. this year, we're sending to Congress our comprehensive crime package to finish the job. We passed the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. And, now, we've sent forward our civil rights bill. We also passed the aviation bill. This year we've sent up our new highway bill. And these are just a few of our pending proposals for reform and renewal.

So, tonight, I call on Congress to move forward aggressively on our domestic front. Let's begin with two initiatives we should be able to agree on quickly: transported and crime. And then, let's build on success with those and enact the rest of our agenda. If our forces could win the ground war in 100 hours, then surely the Congress can pass this legislation in 100 days. Let that be a promise we make tonight to the American people.

Honoring US Troops

When I spoke in this House about the state of our union, I asked all of you: If we can selflessly confront evil for the sake of good in a land so far away, then surely we can make this land all that it should be. In the time since then, the brave men and women of Desert Storm accomplished more than even they may realize. They set out to confront an enemy abroad, and, in the process, they transformed a nation at home. Think of the way they went about their mission--with confidence and quite pride. Think about their sense of duty, about all they taught us, about our values, about ourselves.