| 摘要 | On July 24, Vice President Dick Cheney delivered a speech at AEI that reiterated the U.S. commitment to rebuild Iraq. Edited excerpts follow.
America and our allies have continued the relentless pursuit of the global terror network. Of those directly involved in organizing the September 11, 2001, attacks, many are now in custody or confirmed dead. The leadership of al Qaeda has sustained heavy losses. We must recognize, however, that terrorism is a long-term challenge and fighting terrorism will require a long-term commitment. The loose and decentralized networks of terrorism are still finding recruits, still plotting attacks. A hateful ideology, which defiles a great religion, has taken root in many parts of the world. Terrorists have conducted attacks since September 11 in Bali, Mombassa, Casablanca, and Riyadh. The terrorists intend to strike America again. Yet no one should doubt the intentions of our nation: in every corner of the world, we will hunt the terrorists down and destroy them.
Events leading to the fall of Saddam Hussein are fresh in memory and do not need recounting at length. Every measure was taken to avoid a war. But it was Saddam Hussein himself who made war unavoidable. He had a lengthy history of reckless and sudden aggression. He bore a deep and bitter hatred for the United States. He cultivated ties to terrorist groups. He built, possessed, and used weapons of mass destruction. He refused all international demands to account for those weapons.
I have watched for more than a year now as President George W. Bush kept the American people constantly informed of the dangers posed by Saddam’s regime and of the president’s determination to confront those dangers. There was no need for anyone to speculate what the president was thinking; his words were clear and straightforward and understood by friend and enemy alike. When the moment arrived to make the tough call–when matters came to the point of choosing and the safety of the American people was at stake–President Bush acted decisively, with resolve, and with courage.
Confronting the Threat
At a safe remove from danger, some are now trying to cast doubt upon the decision to liberate Iraq. The ability to criticize is one of the great strengths of our democracy. But those who do so have an obligation to answer this question: how could any responsible leader have ignored the Iraqi threat?
When the decision fell to him, President Bush was not willing to place the future of our security and the lives of our citizens at the mercy of Saddam Hussein. And so the president acted. As he said in the announcement of military action, “We will meet that threat now, with our Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines, so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of firefighters and police and doctors on the streets of our own cities.”
Critics of the liberation of Iraq must also answer another question: what would that country look like today if we had failed to act? If we had not acted, Saddam Hussein and his sons would still be in power. If we had not acted, the torture chambers would still be in operation; the prison cells for children would still be filled; the mass graves would still be undiscovered; the terror network would still enjoy the support and protection of the regime; Iraq would still be making payments to the families of suicide bombers attacking Israel; and Saddam Hussein would still control vast wealth to spend on his chemical, biological, and nuclear ambitions.
All of these crimes and dangers were ended by decisive military action. Everyone, for many years, wished for these good outcomes. Finally, one man made the decision to achieve them: President George W. Bush. And the Iraqi people, the people of the Middle East, and the American people have a safer future because Saddam Hussein’s regime is history.
Our Ongoing Mission
Having now liberated Iraq, the United States and our allies are determined to see all our commitments through. Nineteen nations now have provided more than 13,000 troops to help stabilize Iraq–and additional forces will soon arrive. In the relief and reconstruction effort we are renovating schools and restoring basic services. Coalition authorities are training Iraqi police forces to help patrol Iraqi cities and villages and will soon establish a new civilian defense force. Iraq will also have its own new army–a military force that defends the Iraqi people instead of bullying and terrorizing them. A governing council of Iraqis, recognized by the United Nations, is now operating, naming ministers, and drawing up a budget for the country. All major cities in Iraq now have municipal councils. The process of drafting a constitution will soon be underway, and this will prepare the way eventually for elections.
We still have many tasks to complete in Iraq, and many dangers remain. There are still some holdouts of the regime, joined by terrorists from outside the country, who are fighting desperately to prevent progress of any kind for the Iraqi people. These killers are being systematically dealt with, as we saw in Mosul in late July when Uday and Qusay Hussein were tracked down and killed. That action also showed the great skill and bravery of our men and women serving in Iraq today. America is proud of all the men and women serving and sacrificing in this cause–and they will have all the resources they need to complete the vital work that we have asked them to do.
Our ongoing mission is not easy, but it is essential for our security and for the peace of the world. We will help the Iraqi people to build a free, sovereign, and democratic nation. That free nation will stand as an example to the entire Middle East, proving that freedom and the hope of peace have far more power and appeal than ideologies of hate and terror. And a more peaceful, stable Middle East will contribute directly to the security of America and our friends.
The United States of America has been called to hard tasks before. Earlier generations of Americans defeated fascism and won the long twilight struggle against communism. Our generation has been given the task of defeating the purveyors of terrorism, who are a direct threat to our liberty and our lives. We will use every element of our national power to destroy those who seek to do us harm. But, as in the past, we will do far more than merely defeat our enemies. In Afghanistan and Iraq and in other places where tyranny has been a fertile breeding ground for terror, we will help those who seek to build free, more tolerant, and more prosperous societies.
In the twenty-two months since that clear September morning when America was attacked, we have not lost focus, or been distracted, or wavered in the performance of our duties. We will not rest until we have overcome the threat of terror. We will not relent until we have assured the freedom and security of the American people. |
