The president reiterated US commitment to Middle East democracy, although as has been noted on this blog, Rice’s recent tour of Arab autocrats is just one sign of our complete abandonment of any pressure for serious democratic reform in the region.
Free people are not drawn to violent and malignant ideologies — and most will choose a better way when they’re given a chance. So we advance our own security interests by helping moderates and reformers and brave voices for democracy. The great question of our day is whether America will help men and women in the Middle East to build free societies and share in the rights of all humanity. And I say, for the sake of our own security, we must.
If American forces step back before Baghdad is secure, the Iraqi government would be overrun by extremists on all sides. We could expect an epic battle between Shia extremists backed by Iran, and Sunni extremists aided by al Qaeda and supporters of the old regime.   A contagion of violence could spill out across the country — and in time, the entire region could be drawn into the conflict.
For America, this is a nightmare scenario. For the enemy, this is the objective. Chaos is the greatest ally — their greatest ally in this struggle. And out of chaos in Iraq would emerge an emboldened enemy with new safe havens, new recruits, new resources, and an even greater determination to harm America.To allow this to happen would be to ignore the lessons of September the 11th and invite tragedy. Ladies and gentlemen, nothing is more important at this moment in our history than for America to succeed in the Middle East, to succeed in Iraq and to spare the American people from this danger.[…]
Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq, and I ask you to give it a chance to work.
The response to this speech has been underwhelming. I saw headlines this morning saying the president “pleads” and “begs” for support, and that his policy faces “challenges.”
You can read the whole State of the Union here. You can read the Democratic response (it’s much shorter and more interesting)–given by newly-elected Senator Webb, who’s son is serving in Iraq–here.
Isn’t it time that some rational people in the U.S. to tell this guy to shut up??? I wonder where he gets all this ability to bullshit.
What democracy this idiot is talking about? He has been in position for almost 6 years by now and not one single dictatorship changed in the whole Middle East. Moreover, he has been in full support to all the tyrants of the area. Are the Saudi, Jordanian, Egyptian, Moroccan….and all the regimes in the area became democratic or even moved one inch towards it? He keeps calling them all the “United States allies” and friends, so why doesn’t he ask his allies to move towards Democracy?
Democracy!!! What a word!!! In the name of democracy Mr. President went into war in Iraq – after the exposure of his big lies about the WMD and Kaeda links – causing more than 2,000 American families to morn their sons and daughters who were killed in there. Does anyone know how much of the American Soldiers were injured in this bloody useless war? I don’t have a record on me now, but is it less than another 8,000? How many Iraqis got killed or injured in this war? Hundreds of thousands as I last read. All this is because of this manic sitting in the White House. Is it really so difficult to put George W. Bush in the same garbage basket that had Hitler and other maniacs before? I guess he is already there by now; the issue is for the Democrats to be able to stop the bleeding now that they have the majority of the two houses.
Every American citizen should ask himself 1st and Mr. Bush 2nd, was the existence of Saddam Hussein in power a real high risk on the U.S. interests to the extent that we should sacrifice 10,000 American youth in such a bloody endless war? If the answer is no, then Mr. Bush should be brought to justice for his crimes against Americans in the 1st place and against humanity also. If the answer was yes, then the question would be, what did Saddam Hussein do that other Arab Regimes did not?
This guy is a scumbag and U.S. will come back to its senses when he leaves the White House, wish it would be soon, but as we say, “better late than never”!!!