Radio Address to the Nation
(April 6, 2002)
Good morning. This weekend, Laura and I are hosting
the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and his family at our ranch
in Crawford, Texas. America has no better ally in our war against terrorism
than Great Britain.
Six months ago, when the United States launched military
strikes against Al Qaida training camps and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan,
British forces were right by our side. And the success of Operation
Enduring Freedom owes much to the strong support from allies like Great
Britain. Yet, the war against terrorism is far from over. It will continue
in Afghanistan and beyond.
The world has been brutally reminded these past 2 weeks
of the price exacted by terror. Prime Minister Blair and I will spend
much of our time this weekend discussing the tragic outbreak of violence
in the Middle East. Across the world, people are grieving for Israelis
and Palestinians who have lost their lives.
When an 18-year-old Palestinian girl is induced to
blow herself up and in the process kills a 17-year-old Israeli girl,
the future itself is dying--the future of the Palestinian people and
the future of the Israeli people. The United States is strongly committed
to finding a just settlement in the Middle East. That settlement must
lead to two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace
and security.
This goal can never be realized through terrorism.
It can only be realized through a political process. Arab governments,
the Palestinian leadership, and the Palestinian people must recognize
that suicide bombings are jeopardizing the very possibility of an independent
Palestinian state. This week, I called upon the Palestinian leadership
to order an immediate and effective cease-fire and a crackdown on terrorist
networks.
Israel, too, faces hard choices. America will always
be a committed friend of Israel, and we recognize Israel's right to
defend itself against terror. Yet, to lay the foundations of future
peace, I've asked Israel to halt incursions into Palestinian-controlled
areas and begin withdrawing from those cities it has recently occupied.
Next week, Secretary of State Powell will travel to
the Middle East to seek broad international support for these principles
and to work towards a cease-fire that will lead to a political settlement.
I have no illusions about the difficulty of this mission. Yet, our determination
is strong. We'll work closely with nations in the region and with close
allies such as Great Britain to end this conflict and to begin an era
of peace.
This could be a hopeful moment in the Middle East.
A number of Arab leaders have endorsed a proposal that brings them closer
than ever to recognizing Israel's right to exist. The United States
is on record supporting the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian
people for a Palestinian state. And Israel has recognized the goal of
a Palestinian state.
I believe the region could write a new story of democracy
and development and trade and join the progress of our times. Yet, progress
requires an atmosphere of peace, and peace requires acts of leadership,
not acts of terror.
Thank you for listening.
Sources: Public Papers of the President |