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| TIME | SPEAKER | TEXT |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00:48 |
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Good evening. To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our Armed Services, and... |
| 00:01:27 |
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To address these important issues, it's important to recall why America and our allies were compelled... |
| 00:02:16 |
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As we know, these men belonged to al Qaeda -- a group of extremists who have distorted and defiled... |
| 00:02:53 |
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Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and those who harbored... |
| 00:03:50 |
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Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy -- and only after the Taliban... |
| 00:04:34 |
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Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war, in Iraq. The wrenching debate over... |
| 00:05:03 |
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Today, after extraordinary costs, we are bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end. We will remove... |
| 00:05:51 |
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But while we've achieved hard-earned milestones in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated.... |
| 00:06:21 |
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Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek... |
| 00:06:43 |
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Now, throughout this period, our troop levels in Afghanistan remained a fraction of what they were... |
| 00:07:42 |
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Since then, we've made progress on some important objectives. High-ranking al Qaeda and Taliban leaders... |
| 00:08:15 |
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Yet huge challenges remain. Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards.... |
| 00:09:13 |
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As cadets, you volunteered for service during this time of danger. Some of you fought in Afghanistan.... |
| 00:10:20 |
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This review is now complete. And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital... |
| 00:10:51 |
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I do not make this decision lightly. I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we... |
| 00:11:37 |
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Most of all, I know that this decision asks even more of you -- a military that, along with your families,... |
| 00:12:32 |
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So, no, I do not make this decision lightly. I make this decision because I am convinced that our... |
| 00:13:27 |
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Of course, this burden is not ours alone to bear. This is not just America's war. Since 9/11, al... |
| 00:14:05 |
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These facts compel us to act along with our friends and allies. Our overarching goal remains the... |
| 00:14:23 |
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To meet that goal, we will pursue the following objectives within Afghanistan. We must deny al Qaeda... |
| 00:14:48 |
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We will meet these objectives in three ways. First, we will pursue a military strategy that will... |
| 00:15:02 |
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The 30,000 additional troops that I'm announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 --... |
| 00:15:31 |
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Because this is an international effort, I've asked that our commitment be joined by contributions... |
| 00:16:06 |
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But taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate... |
| 00:16:50 |
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Second, we will work with our partners, the United Nations, and the Afghan people to pursue a more... |
| 00:17:04 |
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This effort must be based on performance. The days of providing a blank check are over. President... |
| 00:17:44 |
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The people of Afghanistan have endured violence for decades. They've been confronted with occupation... |
| 00:18:42 |
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Third, we will act with the full recognition that our success in Afghanistan is inextricably linked... |
| 00:19:01 |
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We're in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this... |
| 00:19:18 |
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In the past, there have been those in Pakistan who've argued that the struggle against extremism is... |
| 00:19:57 |
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In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. ... |
| 00:20:57 |
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These are the three core elements of our strategy: a military effort to create the conditions for... |
| 00:21:12 |
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I recognize there are a range of concerns about our approach. So let me briefly address a few of... |
| 00:21:26 |
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First, there are those who suggest that Afghanistan is another Vietnam. They argue that it cannot... |
| 00:22:27 |
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Second, there are those who acknowledge that we can't leave Afghanistan in its current state, but... |
| 00:23:04 |
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Finally, there are those who oppose identifying a time frame for our transition to Afghan responsibility.... |
| 00:23:55 |
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As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means, or our interests.... |
| 00:24:37 |
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Over the past several years, we have lost that balance. We've failed to appreciate the connection... |
| 00:25:08 |
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All told, by the time I took office the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approached a trillion... |
| 00:25:36 |
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But as we end the war in Iraq and transition to Afghan responsibility, we must rebuild our strength... |
| 00:26:14 |
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Now, let me be clear: None of this will be easy. The struggle against violent extremism will not... |
| 00:26:49 |
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So as a result, America will have to show our strength in the way that we end wars and prevent conflict... |
| 00:27:15 |
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And we can't count on military might alone. We have to invest in our homeland security, because we... |
| 00:27:32 |
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We will have to take away the tools of mass destruction. And that's why I've made it a central pillar... |
| 00:28:01 |
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We'll have to use diplomacy, because no one nation can meet the challenges of an interconnected world... |
| 00:28:32 |
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And finally, we must draw on the strength of our values -- for the challenges that we face may have... |
| 00:29:32 |
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Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, and the service and sacrifice of our grandparents and great-grandparents,... |
| 00:30:09 |
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We have not always been thanked for these efforts, and we have at times made mistakes. But more than... |
| 00:30:38 |
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For unlike the great powers of old, we have not sought world domination. Our union was founded in... |
| 00:31:38 |
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As a country, we're not as young -- and perhaps not as innocent -- as we were when Roosevelt was President.... |
| 00:32:01 |
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In the end, our security and leadership does not come solely from the strength of our arms. It derives... |
| 00:32:55 |
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This vast and diverse citizenry will not always agree on every issue -- nor should we. But I also... |
| 00:33:23 |
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It's easy to forget that when this war began, we were united -- bound together by the fresh memory... |
| 00:34:24 |
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America -- we are passing through a time of great trial. And the message that we send in the midst... |
| 00:34:52 |
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Thank you. God bless you. May God bless the United States of America. (Applause.) Thank you very... |