Guten Morgen Mr. Bush
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Ich bin froh, daß es Leute gibt, die sich für diese fairen Mittel der Kriegsführung einsetzen!
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U.S. State Department Criticism of "Stress and Duress" Interrogation Around the World
April 16, 2003
On December 26, the Washington Post reported that persons held at a CIA interrogation center in Bagram air base in Afghanistan were being subjected to "stress and duress" techniques such as standing or kneeling for hours, being held in awkward, painful positions, sleep deprivation through use of blinding lights, and hooding. In response to a Human Rights Watch letter, the Bush administration stated that "U.S. policy condemns and prohibits torture," but it failed to address the specific reports of mistreatment at Bagram. However, the U.S. State Department has itself condemned as torture or other inhuman treatment many of the "stress and duress" techniques now allegedly being used by U.S. intelligence agencies. Listed below are some of the countries criticized for using these interrogation methods during 2000, 2001, and 2002 in the State Department's annual "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices."
liste der vorwürfe:
http://www.hrw.org/press/2003/04/stressnduress.htm
oder auch:
State Department Criticism of Torture in Countries to Which Detainees Have Allegedly Been Rendered
The December 26 Washington Post article also discussed the rendition, or transfer, of suspected members of Al Qaeda to third countries that not only use the "stress and duress" techniques described above, but other, more brutal methods of interrogation. According to the article, U.S. officials defended renditions by saying interrogators with a greater cultural, religious and language affinity would be more successful in obtaining information. However, other comments from anonymous officials suggested that detainees were deliberately moved to countries known for their use of torture because the officers of the third countries face fewer constraints on their interrogations. One unnamed official was quoted as saying, "We don't kick the [expletive] out of them. We send them to other countries so they can kick the [expletive] out of them." The various methods of torture used in the third countries, like the "stress and duress" techniques, are also described and condemned in the State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights. Listed below are the descriptions of the torture techniques used in reported countries of rendition, as reported by the State Department.
(...)
http://www.hrw.org/press/2003/04/torture.htm
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Arlington, VA - Bush-Cheney '04 has made history by becoming the first campaign to have the support of more than one million contributors. Yesterday, the campaign had support from 1,006,565 contributors representing every county in every state across the country. At the beginning of May, the campaign launched an effort called "March to a Million" to reach the one million contributor goal. The drive included e-mail messages to supporters from former First Lady Barbara Bush and Campaign Manager Ken Mehlman.
Bush-Cheney '04 today also filed its April Federal Election Commission report. The President's re-election campaign received contributions from 183,400 supporters who gave a total of $15.6 million, bringing the total amount raised by the campaign through the end of April to $200 million.
"President Bush's supporters from every county in this nation are building the largest grassroots campaign in presidential history," said Ken Mehlman, Bush-Cheney '04 Campaign Manager. "The outpouring of grassroots support we continue to receive is crucial to ensuring victory in November."
The average contribution in April was $85. Through April 30, 2004, Bush-Cheney '04 raised more than $200 million from over 939,600 contributors. Bush-Cheney '04, Inc. filed its April report with the Federal Election Commission today.
Each week Bush-Cheney '04 updates its Web site at www.GeorgeWBush.com/Donors/ with the names of individuals who have contributed to the President?s campaign. This disclosure is not required by law for those who have contributed less than $200. The Web site also lists volunteer fundraisers who have reached Maverick, Pioneer and Ranger status.
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Throughout the 2004 campaign, the grassroots members of Log Cabin will work tirelessly to elect fair-minded Republican candidates to all levels of government. We will educate others in our party about the importance of fairness for gay and lesbian voters. We will dedicate our time and financial resources to creating a more inclusive GOP. We care about our nation's future, so we work to build our party's future on a foundation of freedom, fairness and equality.
Log Cabin represents a majority of the Republican Party who believes inclusion wins. Polls estimate at least one-third of gay and lesbian voters will support fair-minded Republican candidates. With the electorate still closely divided, we represent a powerful voice for fairness.
A winning strategy depends on unifying the GOP electorate, not dividing it. The radical right has sparked a culture war in our party-threatening the GOP's ability to attract the fair-minded swing voters who will determine the outcome of November's election. The GOP risks letting history repeat itself. At the 1992 Republican National Convention, failed presidential candidate Pat Buchanan fired the first shot in what he called, "a fight for the soul of America." His harsh anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti-family, and anti-free market rhetoric divided the GOP and antagonized swing voters. With moderates alienated from the GOP, a few months later, President George H.W. Bush lost his bid for re-election. Bill Clinton became President.
Two years later Republicans won back Congress for the first time in 40 years by focusing on popular mainstream issues: returning trust to Congress, reforming welfare, making government smaller, and balancing the budget. Republican leaders soon forgot that winning strategy. In 1996, Bob Dole made the same mistakes as the first President Bush-even returning a donation from the Log Cabin Republicans. Again, Democrats won the White House.
In 2000, Republicans again figured out that inclusion wins. George W. Bush united the party by focusing on common beliefs: limited government, low taxes, strong defense, and personal responsibility. Bush defeated Vice-President Al Gore with an estimated 1,000,000 votes from gay and lesbian Americans.
In the 2002 mid-term elections, Bush again led Republicans to victory by uniting the party behind common issues: tax cuts, homeland security, and better schools. However, razor thin victories should not be mistaken for a mandate to govern from the radical right. With an evenly split electorate, it would be a costly mistake for the GOP to again embrace a failed strategy of division and exclusion.
Yet the radical right wants that to happen. They're using anti-gay rhetoric in an effort to force the GOP back to the extreme right on social issues. It's another sign of their desperation. Scare tactics represent the last weapon in their arsenal. They have lost the battle of ideas, so fear is their focus. That was on display after the Supreme Court's groundbreaking decision in Lawrence v. Texas. In June 2003, our nation's highest court offered basic constitutional protection for gay and lesbian Americans.
The radical right has drawn Republican leaders into a culture war as the 2004 election approaches. With polls against them, the radical right has responded with more desperate rhetoric. They're using fears about gay civil marriage in their effort to engineer a public backlash. Scare tactics have failed in the past. They will fail again. That's because most Americans understand the meaning of freedom. It is not reserved for the select few. We all have the right to freedom and personal liberty. The GOP should use history as its guide. Division leads to defeat. If we focus on what unites us, we can win again and build a better America.
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Von Marc Pitzke, New York
Mit einer neuen PR-Kampagne und sechs großen Fernsehansprachen - eine pro Woche, beginnend heute Abend - will US-Präsident George W. Bush aus dem Krisenloch klettern. Beobachter haben ihre Zweifel und vergleichen ihn bereits mit dem Wahlverlierer Jimmy Carter.
Jede Woche analysiert SPIEGEL ONLINE die Chancen des US-Präsidenten für seine Wiederwahl. Für die Werte der letzten Wochen hier klicken...
New York - Joseph Hoar, sonst ein eher kühler, pragmatischer Militär, sparte nicht an Dramatik. "Ich bin überzeugt, dass wir absolut am Rande des Scheiterns stehen", warnte der silberhaarige General a.D. und ehemalige Oberkommandierende aller US-Truppen im Mittleren Osten. "Wir blicken in den Abgrund."
Das düstere Orakel des altgedienten Vier-Sterne-Generals, vorige Woche vor dem Außenausschuss des US-Senats zu Protokoll gegeben, war keine Ausnahme. Auch Larry Diamond, ein Ex-Berater der US-Besatzer im Irak, fand an selber Stelle nur noch eine Beschreibung für die Lage: "ausweglos".
Endzeitstimmung in Washington: "Selbst in den schlimmsten Tagen des Vietnamkriegs", sagt Leslie Gelb, langjähriger Präsident des "Council on Foreign Relations" und ein kundiger Beobachter der Haupstadtszene, "habe ich keinen so dunklen Defätismus gehört wie jetzt, sowohl in als auch außerhalb der Regierung."
Politstrategischer Notstand ausgerufen
Von "Inkompetenz" im Krieg gegen den Terror spricht inzwischen sogar das regierungstreue "Wall Street Journal". Da zeigt selbst einer wie der unerschütterliche Pentagon-Chef Donald Rumsfeld Risse im Nervenkostüm. "Er ist kein Mann der Selbstzweifel", sagt ein Mitarbeiter. Doch beginne Rumsfeld langsam, "sich und andere immer stärker in Frage zu stellen".
Also hat das Weiße Haus jetzt den politstrategischen Notstand ausgerufen. Präsident George W. Bush will das Ruder herumreißen - doch weniger mit Taten als mit Worten: Sechs "große" Fernsehansprachen - eine pro Woche bis zur geplanten Machtübergabe im Irak, live zur US-Hauptsendezeit in die Wohnstuben der Nation gebeamt - sollen das Kernstück dessen werden, was die "Washington Post" als "strikt orchestrierte PR-Kampagne" entlarvt, "die Aufmerksamkeit von den jüngsten Rückschlägen abzulenken". Flankiert wird die Medienoffensive von einem neuen Uno-Resolutionsentwurf zum Irak, den Bush noch diese Woche im Sicherheitsrat in Umlauf bringen will.
Bushs Versuch, sich die Hoheit über Bild und Wort zurückzuerobern, beginnt heute Abend mit einem Auftritt vor dem freundlich gesonnenen Army War College. Dort will der Präsident - über ein Jahr nach dem erklärten "Ende" der Hauptkampfhandlungen, wohlgemerkt - eine "klare Strategie" für den Nachkriegsirak vorlegen und zugleich die bekannten Durchhalteparolen an die Truppen im Feld wiederholen: "Er wird darüber reden, wie wichtig es ist, unser Ziel eines freien, friedlichen, demokratischen Iraks nicht aus den Augen zu verlieren", heißt es salbungsvoll aus Bushs Dunstkreis. Wer auf einen Kurswechsel hofft, wird also wohl enttäuscht werden.
Es kann noch schlimmer kommen
Doch wenn es diese Woche so weiter geht wie in der vorherigen, wird das Durchhalten schwierig. Da verging kein Tag ohne eine Hiobsbotschaft für die Amerikaner. Die Ermordung des irakischen Regierungsratschefs Issedin Salim. Der Anschlag auf Vize-Innenminister Abdul Dschabbar Jussef al-Scheichli. Der tödliche US-Luftangriff auf eine Hochzeitsfeier in Ramadi. Der politisch verheerende Bruch mit dem einstigen Verbündeten Ahmed Tschalabi. Immer mehr Fotos und Videos aus den Folterkammern von Abu Ghureib. Neue Enthüllungen über Misshandlungen und sogar Morde an Kriegsgefangenen auch anderswo.
"Kann es noch schlimmer werden?", fragt David Corn, der Washingtoner Bürochef des linksliberalen Wochenblatts "Nation". Eine rhetorische Frage: "Die traurige Antwort ist - ja." 911 tote Koalitionssoldaten hatte der Irak-Krieg bis gestern abend gefordert, davon 801 Amerikaner - die für die Medien symbolische Grenze von 1000 ist da nicht mehr fern.
Bushs Popularitätswerte sinken weiter - und bringen so die politischen Paradigmen für die November-Wahl ins Wanken. Zum Beispiel, dass diese Wahl "sehr, sehr knapp" ausgehen werde, wie es der Parteichef der Republikaner, Ed Gillespie, noch Ende April prohezeite.
Erdrutsch statt Kopf-an-Kopf-Rennen?
Plötzlich aber erinnern sich die Statistiker an historische Vorläufer: "Wahlen um zweite Amtszeiten sind reine Volksabstimmungen über den Amtsinhaber", warnt Chuck Todd, ein Wahlanalyst beim "National Journal". Solche gingen jedoch nie knapp aus; in jüngster Vergangenheit habe der Amtsinhaber vielmehr entweder haushoch verloren oder haushoch gewonnen.
Etwa 1980, als Jimmy Carter, innen- wie außenpolitisch gebeutelt, um sein Amt kämpfte: Da schlug ihn Ronald Reagan per Erdrutschsieg. "Das wurde weniger durch die öffentliche Meinung über den Herausforderer entschieden", sagt Todd, "sondern durch die Unzufriedenheit mit dem Amtsinhaber." Die logische Konsequenz für Bush, so Todd: "Ein Sieg sieht unwahrscheinlich aus."
Denn selbst wenn sein demokratischer Rivale John Kerry weiter in der Dämmerzone der Wählergunst dümpelt - Bushs Negativ-Quoten wachsen, ob in Innenpolitik, Außenpolitik oder Wirtschaftspolitik. "Mein Gefühl ist, dass diese Wahl nicht knapp ausgehen wird", glaubt auch der konservative Kolumnist Andrew Sullivan.
Und das glaubt bis auf Weiteres auch der Bush-Messer, setzt diese Woche weiter ungerührt mit 2:1 auf eine Abwahl Bushs im November - und wartet gespannt auf die präsidentielle Reality-Show heute Abend.
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,301198,00.html
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Lynne V. Cheney, wife of Vice President Richard B. Cheney, has loved history for as long as she can remember, and she has spent much of her professional life writing and speaking about the importance of knowing history and teaching it well.
As chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1986 to 1993, she published American Memory, a report that warned about the failure of schools to transmit knowledge of the past to upcoming generations. "A system of education that fails to nurture memory of the past denies its students a great deal," Mrs. Cheney wrote: "the satisfactions of mature thought, an attachment to abiding concerns, a perspective on human existence." Currently, as a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, she particularly emphasizes the value of knowing our nation's history. "One of the important lessons we can learn is that freedom isn't inevitable," she says. "This realization should make the liberty we enjoy all the more important to us, all the more worth defending."
Mrs. Cheney recently announced a new initiative to encourage historical knowledge. In April 2003, she launched the James Madison Book Award Fund, which will present a yearly award of $10,000 to the book that best represents excellence in bringing knowledge and understanding of American history to young people. The 2003 book award winner was First to Fly: How Wilbur & Orville Wright Invented the Airplane. The 2004 winner will be announced next July.
Mrs. Cheney has written articles about history for numerous publications on topics ranging from woman suffrage in the West and the way Americans celebrated the country's centennial. She was a member of the Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution and served on Texas Governor George W. Bush's education team. She was part of a group that revised Texas standards for the study of history.
She is author or co-author of seven books, including Kings of the Hill (second edition, 1996), a book about figures from Henry Clay to Sam Rayburn who played powerful roles in the House of Representatives. She wrote this book with her husband, who was a Congressman from Wyoming from 1979 to 1989. Mrs. Cheney's 1995, Telling the Truth (Simon & Schuster, paperback, 1996), analyzed the effect of postmodernism on study in the humanities.
Two of Mrs. Cheney?s works are books on American history for children. The first, America: A Patriotic Primer, released in May 2002, is an alphabet book for children of all ages and their families that celebrates the ideas and ideals that are the foundations of our country. Her second children?s book, A Is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women, published September 16, 2003, tells the story of women?s contributions to American history. Mrs. Cheney's net proceeds from both books are being donated to charity.
Mrs. Cheney earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with highest honors from Colorado College, her Master of Arts from the University of Colorado, and her Ph.D. with a specialization in 19th century British literature from the University of Wisconsin. She is the recipient of awards and honorary degrees from numerous colleges and universities.
Vice President and Mrs. Cheney were married in 1964. They have two grown daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, and three grandchildren, Kate, Elizabeth, and Grace.
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National Security Strategy that Meets the Challenges of Our Time
Defending our nation against its enemies is the first and fundamental commitment of the federal government. On September the 11th, 2001, America learned that oceans will no longer protect us from the threats of a new era. On that day, the President set in motion a relentless worldwide campaign against terrorists, in order to secure our homeland and to make the world a more peaceful place.
In September 2002, the President defined and sent to Congress the National Security Strategy of the United States of America. In it he offers a bold vision for protecting our Nation that realizes today?s new realities and new opportunities. It calls on America to use our position of unparalleled strength and influence to create a balance of power that favors freedom.
The strategy has three pillars:
We will defend the peace by opposing and preventing violence by terrorists and outlaw regimes.
We will preserve the peace by fostering an era of good relations among the world?s great powers.
And we will extend the peace by seeking to extend the benefits of freedom and prosperity across the globe.
As the world?s most powerful nation, President Bush believes that the United States has a special responsibility to help make the world more secure.
Strengthening America?s Defense
President Bush made a clear commitment to provide the nation with the best trained, best equipped and most effective military force in the world ? no matter what it takes. The President?s budget will enable the Department of Defense to continue waging an aggressive and global war on terrorism while supporting the transformation of our nation?s military capabilities. The budget also follows through on the President?s continued commitment to improving the quality of life for our military personnel and their families.
President Bush?s budget proposed $379.9 billion for the Department of Defense, increasing defense spending by $15.3 billion.
The budget fully reflects the Bush Administration?s defense strategy, which calls for a focus on countering 21st century threats such as terrorism.
The United States must strengthen its defenses to protect the nation?s interests and to assure a leading role in global affairs.
The President believes that the men and women who choose to serve this country deserve not only our respect, but also our support in terms of pay, housing and other quality-of-life issues.
Increasing Military Pay
The President is committed to taking good care of our military personnel and their families. His fiscal year 2004 budget builds on pay increases of 4% or more in the last two budgets.
The budget funds a range of military pay increases from 2 to 6.25%, targeted by rank and years of service. These pay increases enhance our military?s ability to retain its most experienced, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines.
Renovating Military Housing
The President is committed to a full range of quality of life programs, including the renovation of military housing.
In 2002 President Bush made sure that there was an additional $400 million made available to improve military housing.
The 2004 budget keeps the Department of Defense on track in its plan to eliminate inadequate military housing. 163,000 inadequate housing units will be eliminated by 2007.
The Bush Administration proposes to reduce average out-of-pocket expenses for military families living in local communities to zero by 2005. During 2003, such expenses will drop to 7.5% from 15.0% in 2001.
Improving Military Training
The FY 04 budget sustains increased funding levels for training from last year, so that U.S. forces are fully prepared for waging the war on terror and meeting other commitments. The budget robustly funds the Services? training goals, as measured in aircraft flying hours, ship steaming days, and ground vehicle miles.
Winning the War on Terror
In 2003, coalition forces acted with skill and bravery to liberate the Iraqi people and remove a grave and gathering danger to America and the world.
In 2001, with less than a month?s notice, American and British forces joined with local anti-Taliban troops in an assault on the al Qaeda network and the Taliban regime that gave it safe harbor in Afghanistan.
In both cases, decisive victories were achieved by integrating real time intelligence with sophisticated technologies in cooperation with indigenous forces.
Missile Defense
During the 2000 campaign, President Bush said, ?America?s development of a missile defense is a search for security, not a search for advantage.?
The President is committed to developing effective missile defenses based on the best available technologies, to be deployed at the earliest possible date. These defenses will be designed to protect our deployed forces abroad, all 50 States, and our friends and allies overseas.
In December 2001, following months of negotiations and discussions with Russia, the United States provided a formal six-month notice that it was withdrawing from the ABM Treaty.
The President?s FY04 Budget provides over $9 billion to begin the deployment of defenses against long-range ballistic missile threats, including new interceptors to be deployed over the next two years.
Strengthen Intelligence
The President proposed increases of between $2 billion and $3 billion in intelligence spending, to a total of nearly $35 billion.
Included in that proposal are enhancements to the capabilities of the FBI and other law enforcement/intelligence agencies.
Stealth Ships/Long-Range Missiles
The FY 03 budget funds four Trident ballistic missile submarines converted to submarines equipped with long-range cruise missiles.
The Navy awarded a $2.9 billion contract to begin building so-called ?stealth ships? that can better evade radar detection.
Strengthening Intelligence to Better Protect America
In his State of the Union Address, President Bush announced a new initiative to better protect America by continuing to close the ?seam? between analysis of foreign and domestic intelligence on terrorism. Elements of the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI?s Counterterrorism Division, the DCI?s Counterterrorist Center, and the Department of Defense have come together to form a Terrorist Threat Integration Center to fuse and analyze all-source information related to terrorism.
This new center is working to merge and analyze terrorist-related information collected domestically and abroad in order to form the most comprehensive possible threat picture.
Since September 11, 2001, our government has been working together and sharing information like never before. The President is committed to ensuring that intelligence information from all sources is shared, integrated, and analyzed seamlessly ? and then acted upon quickly.
Transforming the Military/Next Generation Weapons
The President also worked to fund the following next-generation weapons:
Unmanned aerial vehicles such as those used in the war against terrorism, which provide greater, longer-endurance intelligence and combat capabilities directly to the war-fighter at far less cost and risk to military personnel than manned aircraft;
Unmanned underwater vehicles that can greatly extend the range and capabilities of submarines and surface ships at less cost and without risk to sailors;
The Army?s Land Warrior technology, which digitizes the communications and intelligence capabilities of the individual infantry soldier to enhance situational awareness and combat capability;
Small precision bombs, which increase the quantity of targets that each individual aircraft can strike;
Bunker-defeating munitions to target the growing threats of deeply hidden weapons of mass destruction; and
Space-based radar and space control systems, which enhance our surveillance capabilities and our capabilities to collect and utilize information from space.
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Bushs Gesicht macht aggressiv
Von Christian Stöcker
Mächtige Menschen rufen heftige Reaktionen hervor, sei es Bewunderung oder Ablehnung. Psychologen haben jetzt herausgefunden, dass US-Präsident George W. Bush etwas Besonderes ist. Sein Anblick macht immer aggressiv - und zwar nicht nur seine politischen Gegner...
Gesamter Text:
http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,301519,00.html
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Vice President Dick Cheney
Vice President Richard B. Cheney has had a distinguished career as a businessman and public servant, serving four Presidents and as an elected official. Throughout his service, Mr. Cheney served with duty, honor, and unwavering leadership, gaining him the respect of the American people during trying military times.
Mr. Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on January 30, 1941 and grew up in Casper, Wyoming. He earned his bachelor's and master's of arts degrees from the University of Wyoming. His career in public service began in 1969 when he joined the Nixon Administration, serving in a number of positions at the Cost of Living Council, at the Office of Economic Opportunity, and within the White House.
When Gerald Ford assumed the Presidency in August 1974, Mr. Cheney served on the transition team and later as Deputy Assistant to the President. In November 1975, he was named Assistant to the President and White House Chief of Staff, a position he held throughout the remainder of the Ford Administration.
After he returned to his home state of Wyoming in 1977, Mr. Cheney was elected to serve as the state's sole Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was re-elected five times and elected by his colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee from 1981 to 1987. He was elected Chairman of the House Republican Conference in 1987 and elected House Minority Whip in 1988. During his tenure in the House, Mr. Cheney earned a reputation as a man of knowledge, character, and accessibility.
Mr. Cheney also served a crucial role when America needed him most. As Secretary of Defense from March 1989 to January 1993, Mr. Cheney directed two of the largest military campaigns in recent history - Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East. He was responsible for shaping the future of the U.S. military in an age of profound and rapid change as the Cold War ended. For his leadership in the Gulf War, Secretary Cheney was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush on July 3, 1991.
Mr. Cheney married his high school sweetheart, Lynne Ann Vincent, in 1964, and they have grown daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, and three granddaughters.
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"Am 25. September wies das Büro des demokratischen Senators Frank Lautenberg in einer Presseerklärung auf einen Bericht des Forschungsdienstes des Kongresses (CRS) hin, der bestätigt, daß Cheney von dem Ölmulti Halliburton weiterhin Gehaltsnachzahlungen bezieht und Aktienoptionen hält, was seine Behauptung, er habe "keine finanziellen Interessen" an dem Unternehmen mehr, als Lüge erweist. In der Erklärung heißt es:
"Senator Frank Lautenberg hat heute einen Bericht des CRS veröffentlicht, der bestätigt, daß das Beziehen von Gehaltsnachzahlungen und das Halten von Aktienoptionen an einem Unternehmen nach den national geltenden ethischen Standards ein 'finanzielles Interesse' darstellt. Diese Feststellung widerspricht direkt den Erklärungen, die das Büro des Vizepräsidenten abgegeben hatte, nachdem bekannt wurde, daß er weiterhin Gehaltsnachzahlungen von Halliburton bezieht und Optionen auf 433,333 Halliburton-Aktien hält. Die Kontroverse entspann sich, nachdem Vizepräsident Cheney in der Ausgabe von Meet the Press vom 14. September gesagt hatte: ,Seit ich Halliburton verlassen habe, um George Bushs Vizepräsident zu werden, habe ich alle meine Beziehungen zu dem Unternehmen abgebrochen und alle meine finanziellen Interessen abgestoßen. Ich habe kein finanzielles Interesse an Halliburton, und ich habe seit drei Jahren keines mehr gehabt.' Nachdem der Vizepräsident mit Informationen konfrontiert wurde, die das Gegenteil besagen, bestritt sein Büro weiterhin alle finanziellen Verbindungen und argumentierte, es bestehe kein finanzielles Interesse mehr, da er eine Versicherungspolice auf die Gehaltsnachzahlungen aufgenommen habe und seine Erlöse aus dem Verkauf der nicht wahrgenommenen Optionen nach Abzug der Steuern einer gemeinnützigen Einrichtung übertragen habe. Der CRS-Bericht weist diese fragwürdige Argumentation ausdrücklich zurück und stellt fest, daß das finanzielle Interesse trotzdem weiter besteht."
http://www.bueso.de/seiten/aktuell/01-10-03.htm
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Washington Hilton and Towers
Washington, D.C.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. (Applause.) Thank you all. (Applause.) Please be seated, thanks for coming. Thank you so much.
I want to thank you all for caring about your country enough that you are here to inspire others as to how to save lives. Welcome to Washington, D.C. I want to thank Tonja Myles, the director of Set Free Indeed, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for introducing me. (Applause.) Tonja is -- when I talk about people involved in saving people's lives, I'm speaking about people like Tonja and those on the stage with me. You heard their stories. I have, too. And on behalf of a grateful nation, I thank them and you for serving in the army of compassion. (Applause.)
By feeding the hungry, by healing the addicted, by loving and caring for refugees, you represent the true strength, the real strength, the genuine strength of the United States of America. And I am grateful for what you do. (Applause.)
We're here to talk today about the relationship between people of faith and government policy. I believe it is in the national interest that government stand side-by-side with people of faith who work to change lives for the better. I understand in the past, some in government have said government cannot stand side-by-side with people of faith. Let me put it more bluntly, government can't spend money on religious programs simply because there's a rabbi on the board, cross on the wall, or a crescent on the door. I viewed this as not only bad social policy -- because policy by-passed the great works of compassion and healing that take place -- I viewed it as discrimination. And we needed to change it.(Applause.)
So we've hosted regional conferences to raise the issue. I try to talk about the faith-based initiative a lot. Part of my job is to say to the American people, here is a fantastic opportunity to help America become what we want it to be -- a land of hope and promise and love and compassion.
And so we're -- and we're having regional conferences like this. I'm proud to report that we've reached more than 10,000 faith-based and community groups with the message that we want your help, that the federal government now welcomes your work. And do not fear being discriminated against by the government.
Listen, I fully understand there are people in the faith community who have said, why do I want to interface with the federal government?
(Laughter.) Why would I want to interface with a group of people that want to try to get me to not practice my faith? It's hard to be a faith-based program if you
can't practice faith. And the message to you is we're changing the culture here in America. (Applause.)
And we're making progress. We're changing the attitude here in Washington, D.C. I want to thank the Cabinet Secretaries who are here. It should indicate to you that my Cabinet not only has gotten the directive from the President that I expect all Cabinets to be open to faith-based programs, but it should speak to the character of the people who I've called to serve the country. Secretary Ann Veneman, Elaine Chao, Rod Paige, Tony Principi -- thank you all for coming today. (Applause.) Hector Barreto, of the SBA, and Andrew Natsios, of USAID -- thank you all for coming. I see the Justice Department is represented by Deputy Attorney General Jim Comey. Thank you all for coming. This is
a -- HUD is represented.
Listen, what I'm telling you is, is that I told our government, the people in my government rather than fear faith programs, welcome them. They're changing America. They do a better job than government can do. (Applause.) Thank you all.
I know Jim Ryan is here, the congressman from Kansas, and his wife Anne. Thanks for coming. (Applause.) There he is. My advice is don't go jogging with him. (Laughter.)
I have to tell you, I came from a -- what we call a roundtable -- the table happened to be square, but it's one of those government things -- (laughter) -- where I met with some healers, and doers, and community changers.
Mark Franken is the executive director of migration and refugee services of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops -- is with us. Wintley Phipps is the founder, president, and CEO of the U.S. Dream Academy, from Columbia, Maryland. Archbishop Harry Flynn, of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis; Bishop Don Wuerl, the bishop of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; my friend from the great state of Texas Tony Evans, of the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. (Applause.) There's a few Texans here, Tony, that know of you. Pastor Rick Warren, of Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California -- (applause); Reverend Cheryl Anthony Mobley, is the founder and CEO of the Judah International, from Brooklyn; and from a local church here, Jim Sprouse, the pastor of Trinity United Methodist.
We talked about what they see, what they hear, the frustrations in dealing with the government. It's part of making sure -- this outreach is part of making sure that I hear as best I can firsthand from people whether or not the strategy is being properly implemented because I understand amongst our prosperity there is suffering still, and despair in America. And that troubles every American, regardless of their political standing or where they're from. Where there is despair, we must work to provide hope. Where there is loneliness, we must work to provide love.
There are men and women in our country who doubt, who have serious doubts about what we call the American Dream. And that -- as the President of a country who has heralded the American Dream, that's troubling to realize that some citizens simply cannot connect with that notion of dreaming about the future. There are -- there is loneliness, and you know what I'm talking about. There are people who are so addicted to alcohol and drugs that their vision is clouded, that they can't see a more hopeful tomorrow. These are the types of problems we face.
As well, our great nation receives tens of thousands of refugees, which is good, by the way that America be a welcoming society. (Applause.) These souls flee persecution and need help when they come to our country. Not only are there people in our neighborhoods who are addicted and lonely and homeless and hungry, there are people who've come from far-away lands that need the same concern and care and love that our fellow citizens receive. We've got teenage mothers in America who feel abandoned and in need. There are children in America, whose mom or dad is in prison, wondering whether or not there's any hope. In other words, we got problems in this society. And those of us who have been given the high honor of holding office must utilize every resource, every power we have to help solve those problems for the good of the country.
See, I understand the limitations of government. Governments can hand out money. But governments cannot put love in a person's heart, or a sense of purpose in a person's life. The truth of the matter is that comes when a loving citizen puts their arm around a brother and sister in need and says, I love you, and God loves you, and together we can perform miracles. (Applause.)
And miracles happen -- all the time -- in America. They happen because loving souls take time out of their lives to spread compassion and love. And lives are changing. Listen, our society is going to change one heart and one soul at a time. (Applause.) It changes from the bottom up, not the top down. It changes when the soldiers in the armies of compassion feel wanted, encouraged, and empowered. And that's what the faith-based and community initiative is all about. How do we gather up the strength of the country, the vibrancy of faith-based programs? The social entrepreneurs -- how do we encourage them?
And one way to do so is to hold conferences like these that, frankly, give me a chance and a platform to speak to the country and say as clearly as I can, we welcome the army of compassion. We understand the power of faith in America, and the federal government will assist -- not discriminate against you.
(Applause.)
There is no better way to clarify for our fellow citizens the power of faith-based programs and to speak about examples, to hold up stories about lives who have been changed, starting with Veronica Braewell.
I just met with Veronica. The folks I told you were at the roundtable met with Veronica. Veronica is -- was from Liberia. She's a refugee. She was telling us what it's like to see the violence and horror that took place in that country as rebel groups swept through the land, taking lives if they just felt like it. And this young lady clearly has got a large heart and deep concern for her fellow citizens. She came, and the Catholic Social Agency in Allentown, Pennsylvania -- a faith-based group, by the way -- took her and her family into their collective bosom and loved them. And they helped her find jobs and a place to live and clothing and transportation.
You can imagine what it would be like to be a young girl coming from Liberia, having been traumatized by violence, to a strange country. Fortunately, her arrival was aided by people who said, gosh, what can I do to help change somebody's life and to help them? She's just completed her training to be a nursing assistant. Soon, she'll start work at a senior care facility near her home. She said this, "It's like a second hope again. I believe in myself, I am grateful to God." Thanks to the Catholic Social Agency in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a soul has been lifted. (Applause.)
Elijah Anyieth is with us. He was born in a rural village in Sudan. He fled as a young man when his village was bombed, and he just wandered -- talked about sleeping on the ground, looking for food. Fortunately, the Commonwealth Catholic Charities helped rescue him and he found a home near Richmond, Virginia. With the help of the program, he graduated from high school, with honors. Last month, he finished his first year of college. He's studying to be a mechanical engineer. Here's what he said, "When I imagine my life now and how it would have been, I can't find ways to thank them enough" -- he's talking about the Commonwealth Catholic Charities staff. See, the faith-based program helped save this guy's life, and helped him have a bright future.
I met Derrill Frazier. He should be up here, not me. Needless to say, when his story is -- he's a young guy, he's never seen his mom, or rarely sees him mom, never met his dad -- who is in prison, serving a lifetime in prison. By the way, his grandmother, Constance Morgan, brought him here today. It was my honor to meet Constance. You know what she told me? She said, "Mr. President, I pray for you." (Applause.)
Derrill joined the U.S. Dream Academy. It's a mentorship program funded by the Health and Human Services. See, Health and Human Services is now funding a faith-based program that encourages mentors, people to interface in the lives of a fellow like Derrill, who wonders whether there's any hope for him. He plays basketball and he talks about his favorite subject -- this is with his mentor -- U.S. history. I kind of liked U.S. history, too. (Laughter.)
Here's what he said. "I don't sit around just watching TV anymore. I like school. If I don't go to school, I can't reach my goals -- to go to college and become a lawyer." See, here's a fellow who all of the sudden has got a goal. He's been inspired by something government really can't provide, which is a loving person to interface with him in a way that helps change his life.
The grant came out of the federal government to help fund this mentoring program. It is money well spent. The taxpayers of the country must understand that we should not focus on the process; we ought to focus on the results.
(Applause.)
Let me tell you about this story. It is a success story because of a faith-based program. Brad Lassiter -- he's the youngest of 17 children. He spent most of his childhood without a home. His education ended in the 4th grade -- essentially, he was abandoned and lived on the street -- got addicted to drugs, took a bullet in the mouth, actually, at one point in his life, went to prison. And Gospel Rescue Ministries gave him a place to live when he came out of prison. See, he started reading the bible in prison. It is a powerful change agent when you start reading the bible in prison. (Applause.) And this guy was lost, and now he's found. (Applause.)
He said this -- here's what Brad said -- Brad said, "God blessed me. The Mission gave me an opportunity to change my life spiritually, education-wise, and to build character. They made me want to change." Actually, they were the agents -- Brad, they were just the messenger. When he finished his recovery -- I want you to hear the story, this is a guy abandoned on the streets, drug addict, couldn't read beyond the third grade -- he now has a job at the World Bank, and he's going to college to study computer science. America --
(applause) -- America changes one heart at a time, one soul at a time. And while our fellow citizens can't do everything, they can do something to help change America one soul at a time.
That's the philosophy behind the faith-based groups. It is the government's strong desire to empower this fabric, this social fabric of our society where faith-based programs large and small feel empowered, encouraged, and welcomed into changing lives.
Look, I fully understand it's important to maintain the separation of church and state. We don't want the state to become the church, nor do we want the church to become the state. We're on common agreement there. But I do believe that groups should be allowed to access social service grants, so long as they don't proselytize, or exclude somebody simply because they don't share a certain faith. In other words, there's a way to accomplish the separation of church and state, and at the same time, accomplish the social objective of having America become a hopeful place, and a loving place. And so I want to --
(Applause.) So the question this administration is starting to ask, or is asking is, are you getting the results? That's all we care about. Are you meeting the standards of church and state, and are you getting results? And if so, if you say, yes, the federal government, rather than being fearful of you, ought to say thank you. Thank you for doing your mission to change the United States of America. (Applause.)
So I wanted to make sure that the faith-based groups simply got equal access and equal treatment when it came to the billions of dollars we spend at the federal level. That was the first step toward making sure the faith-based initiative was strong and vibrant.
And of course, it got stuck in the Congress. (Laughter.) It's a process debate that takes places up on Capitol Hill rather than a results-oriented debate. If you're a results-oriented debater, you say, all I care about is making sure that the addict receives help. And if it takes changing a person's heart to change addiction, we ought to welcome the power that changes a person's heart in our society. (Applause.)
So I got frustrated and signed an Executive Order. (Laughter.) And it said that -- it directed the federal agencies, which are run by some of the folks here, that we will reverse regulations that discriminate against faith-based organizations. There were regulations on the books that made it nearly impossible for people of faith -- all faiths, by the way. When you hear me talk about faith, I'm talking about all faiths, whether it be the Jewish faith or the Christian faith or the Muslim faith or the Hindu faith -- all faiths have got the power to transform lives.
In other words, they made it easier for people of all faith to access the billions -- we spend billions of dollars here in Washington, D.C. And those billions ought to be open for grant-making. In other words, if you're able to show that you're successful at meeting social objectives, then you ought to be allowed to access the money. That's my attitude. (Applause.)
And so we're making progress. I'm here to give you a progress report. They spent $1.1 billion on grants to faith-based groups. It's kind of hard to fully account for it. I would call that an estimate; $1.1 billion, it's an increase of 15 percent over 2002. That's good progress. However, there's a lot more money available. That's what I hope the conference explains to you, that there is money throughout our government available for faith-based programs. And the idea is to teach you how to access that money, how to make sure the grant-making process is understandable, and how to make sure that people in your communities do not fear the bureaucracy interfering in your mission, which is a vital part of having a strong, vibrant, faith-based initiative.
The other thing that's important is I wanted to make sure that as we -- as people access federal money, that it not go to the same programs over and over and over again. (Applause.) In other words, part of what we're trying to do is spur entrepreneurship, is to provide money for new programs to flourish and bloom. Remember, a faith-based program can be a mega-church -- and by the way, there's some fantastic churches in our country who spread faith throughout their ministry -- or it can be a five-person staff. What we're interested in is the ability for the programs to change lives. That's what we're interested in.
I was talking to Tony Evans. Tony and I -- he's come up with a fantastic idea, by the way, to encourage more leverage in the faith community: inner-city churches need to work with suburban churches and become the conduit for monies going into the inner-city. The reason why is, is that the inner city church is what we call at the grass roots. They understand the programs that work and the programs that don't work. Evans also assures me that as of being -- as a result of being a successful church, in the sense that it's got a lot of building, a lot of members and a pretty good sized budget -- by the way, he started with a -- in a house; he started small and grew big -- that he is willing to help young churches, and faith-based programs in inner-city Dallas, Texas, as to how to accomplish the mission, how to grow from little to big, how to grow from wanting to be vibrant, to successful. And that's what the faith-based initiative is meant to do. It's meant to allow for access of federal money, but at the same time spawn the entrepreneurial spirit, what I call social entrepreneurs, and encourage their growth.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $113 million in grants to first-time, faith-based recipients. So in other words, what I'm telling you is, it's one thing to make sure that the grant process is open. It's another thing to make sure that as we -- as money goes out the door, that it does so, not only to achieve results, but to encourage the development and expansion of faith-based programs throughout the country. There's a lot to do. Don't get me wrong. One of the great things about these meetings is we get feedback to improve the regulatory process. Look, I fully concede, there's a lot of regulations in Washington. (Laughter.) And we can always work to further reduce the impact of regulation. And we expect feedback from people who are frustrated and/or happy with the process you see.
The Departments of Labor, Agriculture, Health and Human Services have issued new regulations. In other words, we're constantly fine-tuning regulations to enforce the principle of equal treatment throughout their agencies. Education and Veteran Affairs have now completed theirs. And so one of the things that we've got to constantly work here on Washington is to make sure we take your feedback and change practice, obviously, within the law so that we can better hear the voices of those who are changing our country.
USAID -- many of you who have got operations overseas have interfaced with USAID. I appreciate Andrew Natsios changing -- proposing regulations to end the discrimination against faith-based groups receiving foreign grants.
(Applause.)
So to make sure all this is coordinated, I picked Jim Towey. (Applause.) Where are you Towey? There he is. Yes, he's over in the corner. See, he -- Towey was Mother Teresa's lawyer. (Laughter.) Now that is a litigious society if Mother Teresa needs a lawyer. (Laughter.) Anyway, he's a good one.
So he has an office in the White House. I see Towey a lot because this is an initiative that is important for America and the future. Jim's job has been to set up these meetings to listen, to people out in the field, to answer questions. His job is to answer my questions, like how much money has gone out the door? It's one thing to have a faith-based initiative, but if nobody is getting any grants, it's just paper. I'm not interested in paper. I'm not -- I'm here -- I'm not here -- I'm here to try to make a change for the better.
(Applause.) I'm interested in results. Towey has heard me say it a lot. Are we succeeding? And if not, what is causing us -- what is frustrating, where are the bottlenecks to success? Where are the problems? He's constantly asking those questions.
That's why we set up faith-based offices in the Cabinet -- in our Cabinet agencies. See, I want somebody responsible so when they report to the Secretary, and I get on the Secretary, the Secretary can take it back down the chain of command, and say, why are we frustrating people here? How come we haven't done a better job? They're constantly asking the questions of their faith-based offices to make sure that the mission is accomplished.
Now, look, one of the -- part of the feedback we've gotten is that there's a bottleneck at the state and local governments. Some of the money -- (Applause.) Yes, see what I mean? (Laughter.) Some of the money is block-granted to states. And therefore, if there's not a governor who has a faith-based office who understands the vast potential of changing their state, you'll be frustrated. I know that. So part of our mission is to work with you to help change the attitude at the state level. We got our hands full here, by the way, too. Don't get me wrong. (Laughter.) There's a bureaucratic mind set that we're working to change in Washington. But we also want to help you with the governors and mayors.
There are -- there's 20 governors and over a hundred mayors who have faith-based offices. I think when people realize that more money is now available to the faith communities, they'll change their attitude about whether or not to be accommodating to faith-based programs. I think they'll change their attitude. They should change their attitude because if they dig into their societies, get in the cities, and find out the lives that are being changed, and realize their communities are better for it, they will say, give me the results. They'll say, I'm a better mayor or governor because lives are changing, not because of me, but because of the faith community that's changing America one heart at a time. (Applause.)
I have called upon Congress, not only do we want to make sure that the monies being spent now are accessible to the faith community. But we want to make sure that -- I've called upon for some specific programs to help the faith community. One is called Access to Recovery. It is a $100-million initiative to help the addict -- is what it is. It's an interesting approach to funding social programs. In this case, we actually fund the addict. In other words, the money goes to the addict. And the addict gets to choose the program that is best for her or him. (Applause.) It's a change in attitude. Generally, we kind of tend to fund the program, oftentimes not asking whether they're effective or not. This time we're sending the money to the addict so that the addict can make the decision that meets his or her needs. I will tell you -- I will tell you, the cornerstone of any good recovery program is the understanding there is a Higher Being to which -- (applause) -- to whom you can turn your life, and therefore save your life. It is the crux of many, many a successful addiction program. It -- and our government ought to understand that. Congress needs to provide ample money for the Access to Recovery initiative to help addicts change their lives, by saving their lives.
I am deeply concerned about a society in which many boys and girls need love. They need -- and I mentioned to you my concern about a child whose mom or dad is in prison. It's got to be incredibly lonely to have your mom or dad in prison, wondering whether or not -- she's wondering whether there's any hope, you know?
And there is hope, particularly when that child feels love. And so I've asked Congress to provide money for mentoring programs, particularly for a child who -- whose mom or dad is in prison. And many of those mentoring programs come right out of inner-city churches, and suburban churches. Listen, some of the best -- some of the best mentoring programs in America happen out of our churches and synagogues and mosques. And we ought not to be afraid of funding of those programs.
After all, if you exist because you've heard the universal call to love a neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself, if that is the creed, the cornerstone, then surely out of that organization will come people who are willing to do so. And part of loving your neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself is mentoring a child, and saying, you may be lonely, but I love you, and what can I do to help lift your spirit? So I put in funding requests for programs such as this.
Six hundred thousand -- more than 600,000 inmates will be released from prison this year. Those are a lot of souls that need help coming into our society. I can't think of a better place for a prisoner to go is to a church or a synagogue, or a mosque and say, I need help. I have just come out of incarceration, and can you help me with my life and the future? Can you provide guidance for me? And so we've got a $300 million initiative I put before Congress to help with these prison re-entry programs, all of which will give our faith community a chance to heal the broken heart.
One of the things -- I'll never forget this, when I was I was the Governor of Texas, one of the early initiatives in my governorship, one of the faith-based initiatives was to turn over a part of the prison unit to a faith program, Chuck Colson's program. He convinced me that this would be a great opportunity to change lives. And it would be -- it would be better than stamping license plates. And so we put a voluntary program in the prison unit in Fort Bend County, Texas -- the Sugarland, Texas area. And I went over to see the program, and sure enough, I was talking about it on the microphones, and out comes the prison choir. Now, this wasn't exactly a really large choir. It was probably 10 people. And I got in the mood and starting singing Amazing Grace with the Sugarland Prison choir, from this unit that was a faith-based unit. And I'm rocking back and forth with a guy. And on the front page of The Houston Chronicle is a picture -- (laughter) -- is a picture of me and a guy who has been in prison for 19 years for murder. (Laughter.) The other day, we have a meeting in the White House, in the Roosevelt Room, and sure enough, sitting next to me is the guy who I rocked with who is now -- (Laughter and applause.) --
whose life was changed and saved because of faith.
I'm telling America we need to not discriminate against faith-based programs. We need to welcome them so our society is more wholesome, more welcoming, and more hopeful for every single citizen. (Applause.)
I want to thank you all for coming. (Applause.) Thank you all. One last word: I want to thank you for coming. It warms my heart to know that I am the President of a country full of so many decent, caring people. The strength of this country is not our military, or the size of our wallets, the strength of this country is the hearts and souls of the American people. That is the thing, in my judgment, that makes this country unique and different and strong. My job as the President of the United States is understand that and, as best as I humanly can, to elevate the spirit of the country; to call upon people to follow their hearts; to say to the federal government, stand beside these soldiers, not against them; be a wind at their back, not at their face, so that America can reach its full potential, so every citizen -- regardless of race, creed, background -- can have a chance to realize the full promise, the full extended promise of the greatest country on the face of this Earth.
May God bless you and your works, and may God continue to bless the United States of America. Thank you all. (Applause.)
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In Florida, President Bush Applauds Men And Women Standing For Cause of Freedom
Macdill Air Force Base
Tampa, Florida
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for coming. Thanks for the warm welcome. (Applause.) It is great to be back in Florida -- it is great to be back in Florida with the fine men and women of MacDill Air Force Base. (Applause.) I told my dad I was coming here today, and he suggested I drop in by parachute. (Laughter.) I told him I thought I'd wait for my 80th birthday. (Laughter.)
With us today by satellite are American servicemen and women in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Applause.) You are stationed in faraway lands, but you're always in the thoughts of your fellow Americans. You face hard duty. You've endured the heat of the Persian Gulf, and the harsh winters of Central Asia. You're serving with honor and pride. You're making our country safer, and your country is proud of you. Thank you for your service. (Applause.)
I also know that we're on Armed Forces radio and TV. We're carried to bases and ships around the world. Wherever your duty has taken you, I want you to know that you are a part of a great force for good in this world. The defense of our country, the security of our friends, and the peace of the world depend on you. Thank you for working hard, and for bringing credit and honor to the United States military. (Applause.)
I want to thank General Lance Smith, and his wife, Linda. I want to thank General John Abizaid, who is not with us today, and his wife, Kathy. I want to thank General Doug Brown. I want to thank Colonel Brian Kelly, and his wife, Susan. I want to thank a member of my Cabinet who's traveled here, a veteran of the United States military, the Secretary for the Department of Veteran Affairs, Secretary Tony Principi. (Applause.)
Some day you'll be veterans. Our government will honor our commitment to our veterans, past, present and future. (Applause.)
I want to thank Mayor Pam Iorio for being here today, the Mayor of Tampa, Florida; and Mayor Rick Baker, the Mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida. Thank you all for coming today. I'm honored you're here. And thank you for providing such important support for the men and women who wear our nation's uniform. (Applause.)
I want to thank my friends, Darryl Worley and Mark Willis, for being here today. These boys can sing. (Applause.) I know we've got people from the Tampa Bay Lightning here. (Applause.) It seems like it would be hard to skate on ice in this kind of weather. (Laughter.) But I know the general manager, Jay Feaster, is with us, and John Tortorella, the coach, is with us. Congratulations on being champs. (Applause.)
I just had the honor of meeting Master Sergeant Gina Carnesecchi on Air Force One. I'll tell you why I want to bring up Gina. She is a veteran of -- she's been deployed -- let me put it to you that way. She came back, she helped start Operation Lighthouse, here at MacDill. It's a program to encourage troops and their families. She helped to organize care packages and make sure families are able to communicate with a loved one abroad. She's a volunteer. She serves our nation as a Master Sergeant. In her spare time, she volunteers to help make somebody's life better.
You see, the strength of America is the hearts and souls of the American people. The strength of this country is because we've got thousands of people from all walks of life who have heard the universal call to love a neighbor just like they would like to be loved themselves. For those of you who are helping to make somebody's life better, I thank you on behalf of a grateful nation. (Applause.)
MacDill is the home of the U.S. Central Command. The Command was activated in the early 1980s. Back then, America needed CENTCOM to help protect our allies from aggression and to support Afghan freedom fighters. Now, at the start of a new century, the men and women of CENTCOM have liberated two nations, and have rescued more than 50 million people from tyranny. (Applause.) Today your nation is counting on you to ensure the defeat of terrorists, to secure America, and to advance freedom throughout the Middle East. That's our mission.
I'm grateful to the fine men and women of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, which established the "air bridge" that got troops and supplies into the theaters of operations. Some of you deployed to Iraq with the 447th Air Expeditionary Group. Your job was to move cargo and passengers in and out of the Baghdad International Airport every day. Last Thanksgiving, I was one of those passengers, and I appreciated the on-time arrival. (Applause.)
MacDill is also the headquarters for our quiet warriors, the United States Special Operations Command. (Applause.) It is the nature of Special Ops that many of your victories are unseen and must remain secret -- but I know about them. (Laughter.) Our Special Operations force are the worst nightmare of America's worst enemies, and you're making us proud. (Applause.)
All who wear the uniform can know that America appreciates your service and your sacrifice. Our government owes you more than gratitude. I made a commitment to the men and women of our military, a commitment to their loved ones: You will have the resources you need to fight and win the war on terror. (Applause.)
Here at CENTCOM, the Coalition Village flies the flags of 65 nations that are doing their part in the war on terror. On behalf of our country, I thank all of friends and allies for serving with America in the cause of freedom. (Applause.)
I last came to MacDill during the first week of operation Iraqi Freedom. In that battle, we and our allies acted with speed and precision to destroy a brutal regime, while sparing innocent Iraqis. Our coalition showed the world, when we see a threat to America and our friends, we will take decisive action. (Applause.) And when we promise to act, we mean exactly what we say. (Applause.)
Because America and our allies acted, one of the most brutal, evil regimes is gone forever. (Applause.) This was a regime that tortured children in front of their parents. This was a regime that used chemical weapons against whole villages. It gave cash rewards to families of suicide bombers. It sheltered terrorist groups. Iraq was a country in which millions of people lived in fear, and many thousands disappeared into mass graves. That was the life in Iraq for more than a generation, until the Americans arrived. (Applause.) Because America and our allies acted, an aggressive threat to the security of the Middle East and to the peace of the world is gone forever. America is safer because Saddam Hussein sits in a prison cell. (Applause.)
When our forces were bringing down the dictator and his regime, I said here at MacDill that our work would not end with the liberation of Iraq. I pledged that we would help the Iraqi people to find the benefits and assume the duties of self-government. We're keeping our commitment.
All of you understand that freedom in Iraq and freedom in Afghanistan have deadly and determined enemies. Our men and women in those countries are fighting freedom's enemies with skill and courage. You're showing great respect for the holy sites of those countries. You're helping to bring opportunity and security to nations that have known years of cruel oppression. These are difficult tasks, but they are essential tasks. (Applause.) By fighting the terrorists in distant lands, you are making sure your fellow citizens do not face them here at home. (Applause.) By helping the rise of democracy in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and throughout the world, you are giving people an alternative to bitterness and hatred, and that is essential to the peace of the world.
Yesterday, President Karzai of Afghanistan came to the White House and to the U.S. Capitol, and thanked the American people for helping to free his country and for being a friend to the Afghan people. The President of Iraq came to America last week and expressed his gratitude for the sacrifices of the American people and our troops. These two Presidents, and the nations they serve, know the character of the American Armed Forces, They're seeing the nature of your mission, as well. We have come not to conquer, but to liberate people, and we will stand with them until their freedom is secure. (Applause.)
We're moving forward with our five-point plan for Iraqi self-government. We're handing over authority to a sovereign Iraqi government. We're encouraging more international support for Iraq's political transition. We're helping Iraqis take responsibility for their own security. We're continuing to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure, and we're helping Iraq move to free elections. A turning point will come two weeks from today. On June the 30th, governing authority will be transferred to a fully sovereign interim government, the Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist, an American embassy will open in Baghdad. (Applause.)
Iraq's new leaders are rising to their responsibilities. Together with our coalition and the United Nations, they are working to prepare the way for national elections by next January. In July, Iraqis from every part of the country will gather for a national conference that will choose an interim national council to advise and support Prime Minister Allawi and his cabinet. The U.N. Security Council has voted unanimously to endorse the Iraqi interim government and the plan for Iraq's political transition. The Iraqi people are making steady progress, and we will not let thugs and killers stand in the way of a free and democratic Iraq. (Applause.)
As Iraq gains self-government, it is essential that Iraq gain the means of self-defense. So we're now leading an international effort to help train Iraq's new security forces. There are now more than 200,000 Iraqis on duty and in training in various branches of the Iraqi security forces. We're working to build and strengthen Iraqi chains of command. We've learned from our experiences, Iraqi soldiers naturally want to take orders from Iraqi officers. So we're helping to prepare a new generation of Iraqi military commanders, who will lead the security forces of a free and sovereign Iraq.
Those of you in Iraq are seeing results of your work. Iraqi police and Civil Defense Corps have recently captured several terrorists, including Umar Boziani, a key lieutenant of the terrorist named Zarqawi. Recently, in Mosul, the Civil Defense Corps successfully repelled attacks on government buildings. The U.S. commander on the ground, Brigadier General Carter Ham, said the Iraqi forces "stood strong." In Najaf, Iraqi police are now patrolling the streets. They're being greeted warmly by their fellow citizens.
You see, these brave Iraqis are stepping up. They're setting an example for their fellow citizens. They're staying in the fight, taking the battle to the terrorists and Saddam holdouts. They are securing a future of liberty and opportunity for their children and their grandchildren. (Applause.) And when the history of modern Iraq is written, the people of Iraq will know their freedom was finally secured by the courage and by the determination of Iraqi patriots. (Applause.)
There are many challenges yet to come. We can expect more violence in the weeks and months ahead. But the future of a free Iraq is now coming into view. As the interim government assumes authority, and Iraqi security forces defend their country, our coalition will play a supporting role. And this is an essential part of our strategy for success. Terrorists who attack a self-governing Iraq are showing us and the Iraqis who they really are. They're not fighting foreign forces; they're fighting the Iraqi people. They're not just enemies of America; they're enemies of democracy and hope. They're enemies of a peaceful future in Iraq. As Prime Minister Allawi of Iraq said last week, "Anyone involved in these attacks is nothing more than a traitor to the cause of Iraq's freedom and the freedom of its people." He went on to say, "These are not freedom fighters. They are terrorists and foreign fighters opposed to our very survival as a free state."
The Prime Minister and I share the same resolve: The traitors will defeated. (Applause.) Their greatest fear is an Iraqi government of, by, and for the Iraqi people. And no matter what the terrorists plan, no matter what they attempt, a democratic, free Iraq is on the way. (Applause.)
At the same time, our coalition is helping the Iraqi people to rebuild the basic infrastructure of their country. This is work that America has done before. I want you to remember this. In 1947, two years after the Nazi surrender, there was still starvation in Germany. Reconstruction seemed to be faltering. The Marshall Plan had not yet begun. Soon Berlin would be blockaded, on the orders of Joseph Stalin. Some questioned whether a free and stable Germany could emerge from the rubble.
Fortunately, America and our allies were optimistic. They stood firm. We helped the German people overcome these challenges and resist the designs of the Soviet Union. We overcame many obstacles, because we knew that the only hope for a secure America was a peaceful and democratic Europe. And because we persevered, because we had faith in our values, because we were strong in the face of adversity, Germany became the stable, successful, great nation that it is today. (Applause.)
Fourteen months have passed since the fall of Baghdad. And today, in spite of terrorist insurgency, Iraq's economy is moving forward. Markets are beginning to thrive; new businesses have opened; a stable new currency is in place. Dozens of political parties are organizing. Hundreds of courts of law are opening across the country. Today in Iraq, more than 170 newspapers are being published, and I saw the other day that they've even got talk radio. I don't know if they've contacted Rush yet. (Laughter.)
Life is better in other ways for the people of Iraq. Electric power is being restored, and is no longer being distributed based on loyalty to Saddam Hussein's regime. Our coalition has rehabilitated nearly 2,500 schools, and over 1,200 more should be completed by the end of the year. All of Iraq's hospitals and most medical clinics are open and are serving the people. Since the liberation, the vast majority of Iraqi children under five years old have been vaccinated for polio, measles, tuberculosis, and other diseases. In the south of Iraq, our coalition is reflooding the wetlands that Saddam Hussein systematically drained to decimate the Marsh Arabs. We're bringing back a 5,000-year civilization to life. (Applause.)
This summer will bring another milestone for our friends, the Iraqis. Under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, members of the Iraqi national soccer team were imprisoned and tortured when they failed to perform. Last month, inspired by love of country rather than the fear of a dictator, the Iraqi team won an upset victory over Saudi Arabia, and earned its first trip ever to compete in the Olympic Games. (Applause.) All countries gathered in Greece will be able to cheer for the athletes from a free Iraq. (Applause.)
With each step forward on the path to self-government and self-reliance, the terrorists will grow more desperate and more violent. They see Iraqis taking their country back. They see freedom taking root. The killers know they have no future in a free Iraq. They want America to abandon the mission and to break our word. So they're attacking our soldiers and free Iraqis. They're doing everything in their power to prevent the full transition to democracy. And we can expect more attacks in the coming few weeks, more car bombs, more suiciders, more attempts on the lives of Iraqi officials. But our coalition is standing firm. New Iraq's leaders are not intimidated. I will not yield, and neither will the leaders of Iraq. (Applause.)
As the Iraqi President al-Yawar said last week, "They will try to increase the incidents and the violence for a while, but we're committed, we're consistent, we are focused."
The terrorists will fail. They will fail because the Iraqi people will not accept a return to tyranny. The terrorists will fail because the resolve of America and our allies will not be shaken. (Applause.) And the terrorists will fail because courageous men and women like you are standing in their way. (Applause.)
All who serve in the United States military -- in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and at points across America and around the world -- can take pride in the great work you have accepted. Your fellow citizens know that your work is not easy. The days are hot, your mission is hard. Many of you have faced long deployments, sometimes longer than you expected. You've missed your families; your families miss you. Some of you have lost comrades, good men and women you will never forget, and America will never forget them either.
You're sacrificing greatly for our country, and our country has needed that sacrifice. By standing for the cause of freedom, you're making our world more peaceful. By fighting terrorists abroad, you're making the American people more secure here at home. And by acting in the best traditions of duty and honor, you're making our country and your Commander-in-Chief incredibly proud.
May God bless you. And may God continue to bless America. (Applause.)
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gruß
proxi
Optionen
1
1
Massenmord auf Regierungsbefehl ist kriminell.
Ein Präsident, der seine Wähler in den Tod schickt, sollte abgewählt werden.
Amerika entlasse das Regime - Amerika Krieg ist nicht legitim
Georgy Deine Macht ist groß
doch nun ist der Teufel los
schickst die Wähler in den Tod
wirst dabei noch nicht mal rot
Deine Gründe sind ein Witz
kämpfst darum mit jeder List
Amerika entlasse das Regime
Amerika Krieg ist nicht legitim
Sei doch einmal wirklich stark
Flieg sofort in den Irak
Da kannst Du die Toten seh'n
Dein Gott kann Dich nicht versteh'n
Darum sei mal klug und hell
hör jetzt auf und zwar sehr schnell
Amerika entlasse das Regime
Amerika Krieg ist nicht legitim
Durch Spenden kamst Du an die Macht
Deine Wähler hätten nie gedacht
Daß Du Leid und Unglück bringst
und von Gottes Auftrag singst
Gib jetzt auf und tritt zurück
Das wäre für die Welt ein Glück
Amerika entlasse das Regime
Amerika Krieg ist nicht legitim
Bush was hast Du nur gemacht
hast ja gar nicht nachgedacht
Im Irak herrscht jetzt Anarchie
Raub und Mord begehen sie
Jetzt wo Du nicht weiterweisst
Du nach and'ren Ländern schreist
Amerika entlasse das Regime
Amerika Krieg ist nicht legitim
Optionen
0
nur weil diese linke nomenklatura in berlin, jeden tag auf's neue versagt, muß man diesen selbsthass als linker, doch nicht auf einen unschuldigen ami projezieren....
ist solch ein auffälliges psychogramm nicht gefährlich?
dieser bushhass hat schon züge aus den dreißiger jahren, menschen die sich durch hass aufpeitschen lassen, sind doch alle gleich.
linke demonstranten riefen bei den inzenierten demos zum boykott von amerikanischen waren auf. deutsche sollten waren boykottieren die vielleicht die enkel der geflohen juden, in den usa hergestellt haben....eine gewisse entartung des nationalen-sozialismus.
BUSH FOR EVER!
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gruß
proxi
