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Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (12153)	9/20/2006 9:28:00 AM
From: Peter Dierks	Respond to of 71588

That was a great speach. Here are some of the key points: Five years ago, I stood at this podium and called on the community of nations to defend civilization and build a more hopeful future. This is still the great challenge of our time; it is the calling of our generation. This morning, I want to speak about the more hopeful world that is within our reach, a world beyond terror, where ordinary men and women are free to determine their own destiny, where the voices of moderation are empowered, and where the extremists are marginalized by the peaceful majority. This world can be ours if we seek it and if we work together. The principles of this world beyond terror can be found in the very first sentence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document declares that the "equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom and justice and peace in the world." One of the authors of this document was a Lebanese diplomat named Charles Malik, who would go on to become President of this Assembly. Mr. Malik insisted that these principles apply equally to all people, of all regions, of all religions, including the men and women of the Arab world that was his home. ... Freedom success stories: Afghanistan United Arab Emirates - half of the seats in its Federal National Council Kuwait held elections in which women were allowed to vote and run for office for the first time. municipal elections in Saudi Arabia Jordan - parliamentary elections Bahrain - parliamentary elections Egypt - multiparty presidential elections Yemen - multiparty presidential elections ... Every nation that travels the road to freedom moves at a different pace, and the democracies they build will reflect their own culture and traditions. But the destination is the same: A free society where people live at peace with each other and at peace with the world. ... when leaders are accountable to their people, they are more likely to seek national greatness in the achievements of their citizens, rather than in terror and conquest. So we must stand with democratic leaders and moderate reformers across the broader Middle East. ... We respect Islam, but we will protect our people from those who pervert Islam to sow death and destruction. Our goal is to help you build a more tolerant and hopeful society that honors people of all faiths and promote the peace. ... The world must also stand up for peace in the Holy Land. I'm committed to two democratic states -- Israel and Palestine -- living side-by-side in peace and security. I'm committed to a Palestinian state that has territorial integrity and will live peacefully with the Jewish state of Israel. ... This struggle is unfolding in the Palestinian territories. Earlier this year, the Palestinian people voted in a free election. The leaders of Hamas campaigned on a platform of ending corruption and improving the lives of the Palestinian people, and they prevailed. The world is waiting to see whether the Hamas government will follow through on its promises, or pursue an extremist agenda. ... Freedom, by its nature, cannot be imposed -- it must be chosen. From Beirut to Baghdad, people are making the choice for freedom. And the nations gathered in this chamber must make a choice, as well: Will we support the moderates and reformers who are working for change across the Middle East -- or will we yield the future to the terrorists and extremists? America has made its choice: We will stand with the moderates and reformers.

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (12153)	9/20/2006 4:24:39 PM
From: JDN	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 71588

Contrast that with Chavez's speech, which drew far more ovation from the UN body then Bush's. Tells you something doesnt it? jdn

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (12153)	10/3/2006 1:00:12 AM
From: Peter Dierks	Respond to of 71588

A little bit of heaven in Afghanistan By Jerry Newberry Tuesday, October 3, 2006 Editor's Note: Jerry Newberry, Communications Director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, is currently embedded with the troops in Afghanistan. There's hot chow, a bed, showers and a PX. Relatively speaking, for a deployed servicemember, it's not too bad of a place to be stationed. It could be a lot worse. There are additional amenities here: a barbershop, laundry facilities, and contracted vendors that bring a taste of home to Bagraim: Burger King, a Green Bean Coffee shop and Popeye's Fried Chicken. You can call home using an AT&T call center or converse to someone back in the States via the Internet. If you've been to some of the other military installations or Forward-Operating Bases (FOBs) in Afghanistan, Bagraim seems like a little bit of heaven. It's relatively safe and has been pretty well insulated from the recent salvos of rocket attacks that have been hitting places like Kandahar and Salerno and FOBs. Bagraim is a place you soon learn to appreciate if you've been up at an FOB where it's "lights out" at night because the light provides the enemy an aiming point, a target for their weaponry. Like I said, the difference between this place and some of the other AOs here is like the difference between night and day. And that holds true for the troops serving east along the Pakistan/Afghani border. There aren't any goodies to be had for those patrolling these mountains: no phone, Internet hook-up or fast food. The troops up there don't have the luxury of running water or flush toilets. They don't sleep on mattresses - they rack-out on improvised beds made of sheets of plywood. And they don't have a PX. Instead, they rely on AAFES’s "rodeos" to bring them items like soap, razors and cigarettes by helicopter. They serve in a primitive, dangerous and forbidding environment, filled with high mountains and steep valleys. Traveling the rugged terrain takes stamina: humping the steep trails and roads of the countryside is physically draining; combined with the stifling heat, the sharp, angular paths suck the energy out of you in a heartbeat. Muscles scream and rivulets of sweat turn to a torrent that cascade from your brow downward until your entire body is bathed in perspiration. This is a place the Taliban calls home. It's an area that the enemy wants to take back and has made a concerted effort to do so. The problem the Taliban is having - and it's a big problem for them - is the "Joes" who run the patrols and interdiction missions in the eastern portion of the country. Like the terrain they operate in, our Joes are tough. They endure the harshest of environments, while slogging the near impenetrable mountains and passes along the border. At night, much-needed rest is interrupted by incoming rocket or mortar attacks and by day it can be an IED, sniper, or small-arms fire. All the while they are taking the fight to the Taliban, a tough and determined enemy that doesn't hesitate to kill innocent civilians - men, women, or children, U.S. or coalition forces. They don’t discriminate in their killing. This is an enemy who can fire on a patrol or an FOB and when pursued by our guys, run eight "klicks" in 45 minutes through the mountains - in sandals. The Taliban just doesn't quite understand that our guys are tougher and more determined than they are, and thus will continue to die as a result of their miscalculations. Our troops along the border are more than warriors. They have helped to construct roads, provide medical care, and build clinics and schools - and therein lies the biggest mistake the enemy has made. The Afghani people have had a taste of something better than the terror tactics, murder, torture and intimidation they experienced when the Taliban held power, and that's a hard thing to defeat. So it's been pretty good being at Bagraim, but it will be better to head back east. It'll be good to be back with some pretty remarkable Joe's. Jerry Newberry hosts the country's only talk show dedicated to America's heroes, The National Defense. Click here to listen.(http://www.townhall.com/TalkRadio/Show.aspx?RadioShowID=14) Copyright © 2006 Salem Web Network. townhall.com