NASHVILLE – President Bush delivered a rousing speech before an audience of Christian broadcasters Tuesday, saying the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are part of the same ideological struggle to protect God's universal gift of freedom to humanity.
Bush called freedom a "precious gift" that was not America's gift to the world but God's gift to all humanity, to which the crowd responded with "amen."
In his address on the closing day of the National Religious Broadcasters convention, the president invoked faith and the value of human life as he reiterated his commitment to support both countries in securing peace and settling their governments.
"We undertake this work because we believe that every human being bears the image of our Maker. That's why we're doing this. No one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave," said Bush to applause.
His speech comes one week before the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Bush is expected to deliver more talks on terrorism and war policy ahead of the NATO summit in Romania in early April and the upcoming congressional testimony of the top U.S. figures in Iraq – Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.
On Tuesday, he stood by decisions to enter Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein.
"No President wants to be a war President," he admitted. "But when confronted with the realities of the world, I have made the decision that now is the time to confront, now is the time to deal with this enemy, and now is the time to spread freedom as the great alternative to the ideology they adhere to."
He acknowledged there was "still much work to be done" but maintained his conviction that the effects of a free Afghanistan and Iraq will extend to other countries in the region.
Bush delivered his address during a fundraising stop in Nashville for the Republican National Committee.
His message was well-received with hearty applauses and several standing ovations.
Several hundred convention participants attended the presidential address, including NRB board members and evangelical leaders like James Dobson.
The last time Bush talked to Christian broadcasters was in 2003, when he spoke about his faith-based initiatives.
This year, the president pledged to veto any legislation that would reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine, which requires broadcasters to equal time to all views on so-called controversial issues.
A long-time friend of Billy Graham, Bush rallied prayers for the respected evangelist who is recovering from surgery in North Carolina.
He also praised Christian broadcasters for guiding the faithful and standing up for America's values, including the right to life.
Comments
"Bush: Protecting Freedom at the Heart of War"
Bush is an ignorant hypocrite who has brought nothing but pain and misery to the peoples of Iraq. it iteresting to me that the Christians on this web-site supported and continue to support the madness that is bush and his Iraq debacle, and in the same breath, claim their religion is about love and the sanctaty of of life. Makes me glad I am an agnostic that opposed Iraq debacle from DAY ONE. I encourage all those that post on this site that advocate the Iraq invasion and occupation to sign up for duty in Iraq. If you cant do that, then perhaps sell your property and send the proceeds to help the Iraqi's whose country the USA and bush have destroyed.
"I wonder how Bush would feel if his own daughters were soldiers in Iraq"
That would never happend. bush would have a plan to keep them out of Iraq if a draft were to be implemented, just as he had a plan to keep himself out of the Vietnam War.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A JUSTIFIED WAR!
Don't read your bible then. . .you won't think God was justified in orchestrating battle using the Israelites or other countries like the persian empire and it's invasion into the land of Israel. to scitsonga if conservatives say white you say black. . . .
white.
to
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A JUSTIFIED WAR! I personally think promoting love and kindness and help to those who need it is MUCH more responsible and acceptable to America than a war and a torture camp. There are ten fold wars and conflicts occurring right now all over the world, men women and children that need help, medicine, need water, clothes, and he just shovels out $700 million for TANZANIAN ROADS??? Sheeshh
I wonder how Bush would feel if his own daughters were soldiers in Iraq
Romans chapter 13
BooGieONdown: "and if [God]he feels Iraq needs to be liberated and we are the nation to do it so be it."
I think the Iraqi's are tired of being "liberated" by the US
"Interviews and polls taken of the way Iraqi's felt about their country before and after the invasion seem to indicate that the average Iraqi felt more secure and better off economically than today. The Iraqi people did not ask to be "liberated" by the US. There is in fact a tremendous level of resentment by most Iraqi's towards the US because of the invasion which they did not want or ask for. The average person in Iraq, and indeed the average citizen of the Middle East , understand why the US attempts to impose its will in the ME. Its simple, its mainly about OIL. How would americans take to an invasion of the US by a foreign army - not very well I'm sure. Contrary to what bush, cheney and the neocons tell the largely ignorant american public (ignorant from the standpoint of little to no knowledge of the ME and its history as it relates to the imperial ambitions of Western countries to secure oil interests) the invasion of Iraq had nothing to do with liberating the Iraqi's from the grip of sadddam. Its all about US control and influence in the ME. 9-11 occurred because of decades abuses by the US in the ME. Its really too bad the US forgot lessons learned from Vietnam. In both the case of Vietnam and Iraq, american ignorance and arrogance led to the deaths and injury of millions of innocent Vietnamese and Iraqi's. By the way, Iraq and Saddam were not involved with 9-11.
The thing that really adds insult to injury in Iraq is the fact that the US had no post invasion strategy. bush and his band of fools completely ignored the warnings ME experts offered in regard to having a post invasion strategy to provide security. They did not have a strategy to protect the people nor the countries infrastructure. Amazingly, and quite telling, the only real security provided after the fall of Baghdad, was military protection of the oil ministry. In the mean time, hospitals, schools, clinics, museums, government buildings, universities, libraries, power plants, water and sewage plants- all looted.
bush, cheney and other high ranking neocons are responsible for the destruction of Iraq and its people. Much of the world consider bush and cheney war criminals and should be brought to the Hague.
BooGieONdown "we are alot more offensive than defensive now. and if the next prez that gets in there is weak on foreign policy. that will do more harm than good to our nation.
Yeah whatever.. that offensive thing is really working out well - NOT. bush will go down as the only prez to lose two wars- Iraq and Afghanistan. We had a chance to do some good in Afghanistan, but instead diverted resources to the quagmire in Iraq. Its not a question of "weak on foreign policy." It really should be how to have a smart foreign policy. Going around invading countries against assymetric opponents is a fools game. A strong conventional military is not going to win an assymetric war. The US should have learned that in Vietnam, the Soviets learned that lesson in Afghanistan, the British and the French have spilt the blood of millions in assymetric conflicts that they eventually were forced to abandon.
agentorange20 " Back in the days of Vietnam, signing up for the coast guard and national guard was a way to avoid the draft."
Thats exactly the ticket bush used to get out of going to Vietnam. He used family connections to move to the top of the line to get into the Texas Air National Guard. The interesting part about that, was that bush was an advocate of war in Indochina, but yet he was not willing to go fight himself. Presumebly, someone else with out connections had to go in his place and perhaps died or was injured for life. Another chickenhawk was cheney, he too supported the war, but managed through the use of student deferments, to avoid the war.
The obvious evidence for planned demolitions of the three WTC buildings were the red flag operations to suck the American sheeple into a war that benifits the Federal Reserve and the military industrial complex, paid for in blood. A million citizen of Iraq and Packestine, but whos counting "their image of God". 9/11 is crime. More people are seeing the evidence ever day. Look at the evidence for controlled demolition, it's obvious the terrorists did not do it.
i without a doubt pray and feel for my bro's and sis's overthere and those that made the ultimate sacrifice. of course its mostly those that uses the military as a means to get ahead since most of u.s turn their face at them. however thats a reason to honor them much more, but i assure you no one joins any branch of service and not realizing what they are getting into. they stepped up while others sit back and complain. As for Vietnam im not sure if you were comparing the 2 wars or not. but if so they're not even close. in 1966 there were 6,143 KIA thats in one year; 1968 -16,592 KIA, 1969- 11, 616 KIA those stats are in 3 separate years of a 1959-1975 Vietnam war. our total for this 2002 war is 3,897 thats including the 12 soldiers that just gave their lives for us in the past 4 days. its a touching and sensitive matter i know but i just pray Gods will be done not mine but Gods. and if he feels Iraq needs to be liberated and we are the nation to do it so be it. also Romans 13.
ShuckCreations
“Couldn't have said it better boogie! It frustrates me when people put so much pity on soldiers and urge for their return. That's what they signed up for!!”
Have you ever looked at the numbers of how many National Guard troops are deployed over there? Back in the days of Vietnam, signing up for the coast guard and national guard was a way to avoid the draft. Now joining the national guard is a way to get into war action, before it was the other way around. Here are literally a bunch of kids that were mostly the unprivileged and thought they were signing up of paint ball practice with the national guard and instead they are overseas getting blown to bits….and you don’t have any pity or consideration for that?
Is that why he gets as giddy as a schoolgirl whenever he brags about being a war president?
Humor me. . . how do you recognize that in a man?
on my prior post i meant since the media isn't talking about it
Couldn't have said it better boogie! It frustrates me when people put so much pity on soldiers and urge for their return. That's what they signed up for!! Last time I looked there wasn't a draft inacted forcing them to be there. I'd rather my tax dollars get used than to pay them to sit on their bums!