Summary

FTG OF PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH SPEECH DECLARING END TO MAJOR COMBAT IN IRAQ / USS LINCOLN / 21:02:59 thank you all very much - kelly, card, officers, sialors of the uss lincoln, fellow americans - major combat ops have ended and battle of iraq us and allies have prevailed *** (cheering) 21:03:34 and now our coalition is engaged isn securing and reconnstrucvting country. in this battle we have fought for liberty and peace of world. 21:03:50 our nation and colation are proud yet it is you, members of us military who achieved it 21:04:02 your courage, willingness to face danger...made this day possible 21:04:10 because of you our nation is more secure, because of you, the tyrant has fallen and iraq is free (cheers) 21:04:37 OIF carried out with combianation of precision, speed and boldness the enemy didn't expect 21:04:51 from distant bases or ships at sea we sent planes and missiles that could destory division or strike single bunker 21:05:05 charged across 350 miles of hostile ground in ones of the swifetest advances in histoyr - showed skill and miight of forces 21:05:24 this nation thanks all members of coalition...uk australia, poland who shared in hardship of war 21:05:39 we thank all citizens of iraq...and tonighbt i have a special word for rumsfeld, franks and all the men and women that served in uniform 21:05:56 america is grateful for a job well done (cheers) 21:06:19 character of military through history - normandy...iwo jima...decency that turned enemies to allies is fully present 21:06:39 when iraqis looked into the eyes of our men and women, they saw strength, goodwill 21:06:48 i see the best of our country and am honored to be your commander in chief (cheering) 21:07:20 in the images of fallen statues we've witnessed the arrival of a new era. for a hundred years culmintating in nuclear age, technology was to inflict casulaties on growing scale 21:07:45 in germany, japan, allied forces destoryed entire cities ...safe until final days... 21:07:57 military wpower was used to end regime by breaking a nation 21:08:05 today we have the greater power to free a nation by breaking the regime. with new tactics we can achieve objectives without directing violence on civilinas 21:08:28 no amount can remove tragedy but it's a great advance when the guilty have far more to fear than the innocent 21:08:51 in the images of celbrating iraqis we've also seen ageless appeal of human freedom. decades of lies and intimidation could not make them love their oppressors 21:09:13 men and women need liberty like food, air, water. everywhere freedom arrives, humanityr rejoices and everywhere that freedom stirs, let tyrants fear *** 21:09:45 we bring order to parts of that country....we're pursuing and finding leaders of the regime who'll be held to account 21:10:01 we've begun the search for chem and bio weapons...in sites...we're helping rebuild iraq where dictator built palaces instead of schools and hospitals...for the iraqi people. 21:10:40 the tranistion from dictatorship to democraacy will take time but it's worth effort. coalition will stay until work's done then we will leave, and leave behind a free iraq. 21:11:10 the battle of iraq is one victory on war on terror that began 9/11/01 and goes on. that terrible morning 19 men of hateful ideology gave world a glimpse of their ambitions 21:11:38 they imagined 9/11 as begining of end of america...believed they could destory this nation's resolve and force our retreat from the world . they have failed. ** (cheering) 21:12:21 in the battle of afghanistan we destoryed the taliban, many terrorists and camps where they trained 21:12:35 we continue ...hospitals, publicits....dangerous work to complete... 21:12:49 as i speak, a specials ops task force is on trail of terroristts and thosse that seek to undermine....america and coaltion will finish what we have begun 21:13:17 from pakistan to philippines to horn of africa we're hunting down al qaeda killers 21:13:31 we pledged that they will not escape the patient justice of the u.s. and as of tonight nearly half of senior operatives have been captured or killed (cheer) 21:13:56 the liberation fo iraq is crucial advance in campaing against terrro. we've removed an ally of ALQ 21:14:14 this much is certian: no terrorist network will gain wmds from the regime because the regime is no more (lots of cheering) *** 21:14:45 in these 19 months that changed the world our actions have been focused and deliberate and proporitionate to the offense 21:15:00 we've not forgotten the victims of 9/11, the last pohone calls, children, searches in rubble 21:15:12 with those attasacks the terorists and their supporters declared war on the u.s. and war is what they got *** (cheering) 21:15:36 our war against terror is proceding according to principles that i've made clear: any person involved in planning or committing attacks agains the u.s. becomes an enemy of the country and a target for justice. ** 21:16:13 any person, organization or govt that supports, protects or harbors terrorists is complicit in murder of innocent and equally guilty **... 21:16:29 any outlaw regime with ties to trerrroriist groups and possesses wmds is grave danger and will be confronted (cheer) 21:16:55 anyone in the world incl. the arab world who works, sacrifices for freedom has a loyal friend in the usa (cheering) 21:17:20 our commitment to liberty is america's tradition, declared at our founding...asserted in truman doctrine and reagan's challenged.... 21:17:41 we're committed to freeodm...advance of freedom is surest strategy to undermine appeal of terror in the world...ahtred gives way to hope 21:18:00 men and women turn to better life. american values and american interests lead in the same direction: we stand for human liberty *** 21:18:36 us upholds these....law enforcement ...finance.... 21:18:47 we're working with broad coaltiion that understnad the threat and our shared responbsiblity to meet it. use of force has been and remains last resort. 21:19:07 all can know, friend and foe that our nation will answer threats and defend the peace.... 21:19:38 our mission continues. al qaeda is wounded, not destoryed. the scattered cells of the terrorist network sttill operate in many nations... 21:19:59 proliferation of deadly weapons remains a serious danger. enemies of rfreedom are not idle and neeither are we. 21:20:14 our govt has taken unprecendeted measures to defend the homeland and we will contine to huint down the enemy before he can striek ** 21:20:33 the war on terror is not over yet it is not endless. we don't know the day of final victory but we've seen turing of ntide 21:20:50 no act will change our purpose, weakien resolve, alter fate 21:20:58 their cause is lost. free nations will press on to victory 21:21:13 other nations in hisoty have fought in foregin lands and remained to occupy and exploit. 21:21:27 americans, following battle, want nothign more than to return home and that's your direction tonight. 21:22:09 After service in the afghan and Iraqi theatres of war, after 100000 miles on the longest carrier deployement in recent hisotory you're homeward bound (big cheers) 21:22:39 some of you will see new family members for the first time 150 babies born while their fathers were on the lincoln. your families are proud and your nation will welcome you. 21:23:10 we are m9induful as well that some good men and women aren't making the journey home. one who fell, mileo spoke to his parents 5 days before death 21:23:32 father said he called us to tell us he loved us. our son was a soldier. every name, eevery liefe, is a loss to our military, to our nation and to loved ones...no homecoming yet we pray in god's time reunion will come 21:24:03 final act on theis earth was to fight a great evil and bring livberty to others 21:24:15 have taken up highest calling of history, de3fending your country and protecting the innocent from harm. and wherever you go, you cary messsage 21:24:37 in words of isaiah to captives come out and thosde in darkeness be free 21:24:47 thank you for serving country and cause. amy god bless you alll and may god continue to bless america