Remarks in Greenwood Village, Colorado

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Sept 20, 2004

In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. So I went to the Congress. The Congress looked at the intelligence I had looked at. They remembered the history of Saddam just the way I remembered him, and they saw a threat. My opponent looked at the same intelligence. He came to the same conclusion I did, that Saddam was a threat, and voted "yes" when it came to the authorization of force.

Before the Commander in Chief commits troops into harm's way, we must try all of our options to solve a problem. I was hoping diplomacy would work. I was really hoping diplomacy would work. And that's why I went to the United Nations, and I spoke to the United Nations. And when I went to the United Nations--

[At this point, there was a disturbance in the audience.]

Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

The President. And so I went to the United Nations. The United Nations looked at the same intelligence I did. They had the debate. They remembered the history I remembered and voted 15 to nothing in the United Nations Security Council, saying to Saddam Hussein, "Disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences.'" I believe that when the world says something, it must mean it in order to make the world more peaceful. I believe when the American President speaks, he must mean what he says in order to make the world more peaceful.

Saddam Hussein had no intention of listening to the demands of the free world. As he had for over a decade, he ignored the resolution. As a matter of fact, when they sent inspectors into his country, he systematically deceived the inspectors. So I had a choice to make at this point in our history. I realized diplomacy wasn't going to work. Do I trust a madman, forget the lessons of September the 11th, or take action to defend our country? Given that choice, I will defend America every time.

Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

The President. Because we acted to defend our country, 50 million people live in freedom. In Afghanistan, young girls now go to school for the first time. Their mothers are no longer taken in the public square and whipped because they don't toe the line with the backward Taliban. Because we acted, 10 million citizens, 41 percent of whom are women, have registered to vote in the upcoming Presidential election. Despite ongoing acts of violence, Iraq now has a strong Prime Minister, a National Council, and national elections are scheduled in January. Our country is safer because we made tough decisions.

Free societies in the Middle East will be hopeful societies which no longer feed resentments and breed violence for export. Free governments in the Middle East will fight terrorists, instead of harboring them. Our mission in Afghanistan and Iraq is clear. We'll help new leaders to train their armies so that the citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq can defend themselves against the few who want to stop the hopes of the many. We'll help them move toward elections. We'll get them on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will return home with the honor they have earned.