Una Finestra sul Mondo

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Politica internazionale - 10/12/2008 - Paolo Gattari intervista Giorgio La Malfa membro della Delegazione Parlamentare presso l'Assemblea della Nato

scheda tratta da http://www.fulm.org/Default.aspx
Per il Video clicca sotto ...

http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=wn1_zUr9f8A

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Guinea/ Premier nega golpe: il governo non è stato sciolto
Souare: l'esecutivo "continua a funzionare come dovrebbe"

Conakry, 23 dic. (Ap) - Il governo della Guinea non è stato sciolto, ha detto il premier Ahmed Tidiane Souare, respingendo quanto annunciato oggi dalle forze armate poche ore dopo l'annuncio della morte del Presidente Lansana Conté.

Il premier ha dichiarato che il governo "continua a funzionare come dovrebbe", precisando di parlare dal suo ufficio nella comunicazione trasmessa dai media nazionali. Alcune ore dopo l'annuncio della more di Conté, il capitano Mussa Dadis Camara ha dichiarato ai microfoni di Radio Conakry: "A cominciare da oggi, la Costituzione è sospesa come ogni attività politica e sindacale. Il governo e le istituzioni repubblicane sono dissolte".

La scorsa notte è stato il presidente dell'Assemblea nazionale, Aboubacar Somparé, ad annunciare alla televisione di Stato la morte di Lansana Conté, 74 anni, dopo "una lunga malattia". Militare di carriera, Conté era alla guida del Paese dal 3 aprile 1984, dopo un colpo di Stato messo a segno una settimana dopo la morte del primo Presidente della Guinea indipendente, Ahmed Sékou Touré. La costituzione guineana prevede che alla morte del Capo di Stato sia il presidente del Parlamento ad assumere ad interim la guida del Paese, con il compito di indire nuove elezioni entro due mesi.

tratto da http://notizie.alice.it/notizie/este...,17338442.html

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Guinea/ Annunciata la formazione del nuovo governo golpista
Confusione nel paese dopo la morte del presidente Conté

Conarky, 24 dic. (Ap) - Nel corso della notte, con un comunicato alla radio nazionale della Guinea il capitano Moussa Camara ha annunciato la formazione di un governo ad interim composto da 30 membri, di cui 29 militari e un civile.

Ieri, dopo la morte del "presidente-generale" Lansana Conté, al potere dal 1984, un gruppo di militari aveva annunciato lo scioglimento del governo, di fatto un colpo di stato. "A partire da oggi - avevano annunciato alla radio nazionale i golpisti - la Costituzione è sospesa, nonché tutte le attività politiche e sindacali". "Il governo e le istituzioni repubblicane sono sciolte", aveva aggiunto Camara, "e da questo momento il Comitato si prenderà la responsabilità del destino del popolo della Guinea".

Il primo ministro, Ahmed Tidiane Souare, ha fatto sapere alla radio di essere all'interno del palazzo del governo e di non considerare sciolto il gabinetto. Neppure un'ora dopo decine di soldati armati sono stati visti entrare nella zona degli uffici del primo ministro mentre diversi carri armati circolavano nella notte per le strade della capitale.

Secondo le intenzioni del golpista Camara, entro 60 giorni dovrebbero tenersi delle elezioni presidenziali.

tratto da http://notizie.alice.it/notizie/este...,17346754.html

[Lincoln (POL)]

President Bush Meets with Iraq President Talabani in Iraq
Salam Palace
Baghdad, Iraq


6:01 P.M. (Local)

PRESIDENT TALABANI: Today we have the pleasure and honor of seeing our great friend for the Iraqi people, President George W. Bush, who helped us to liberate our country and to reach this day, which we have democracy, human rights, and prosperity gradually in our country. Thanks to him and his courageous leadership that we are here now in this building.
So we are very glad to have him with us and we discussed with him all our problems very frankly and friendly, and we hope that will continue friendship with him, even he'll be back in Texas.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you and the Vice Presidents for greeting me. I've known these men for a long time, and I have come to admire them for their courage and for their determination to succeed. I am also here to herald the passage of the SFA/SOFA as a reminder of our friendship and as a way forward to help the Iraqi people realize the blessings of a free society.
And the work hasn't been easy, but it has been necessary for American security, Iraqi hope, and world peace. So Mr. President, thank you for your friendship and thank you for your hospitality. I'm looking forward to meeting all folks who are involved in the process, leading this political process. And I am just so grateful that I had a chance to come back to Iraq before my presidency ended.
PRESIDENT TALABANI: They want picture with you, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Oh, absolutely.
END 6:03 P.M. (Local)
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President Bush and Iraq Prime Minister Maliki Sign the Strategic Framework Agreement and Security Agreement
Prime Minister's Palace
Baghdad, Iraq



8:03 P.M. (Local)
PRIME MINISTER MALIKI: (As translated.) I'd like to welcome the President of the United States, President George W. Bush. I would like to welcome you here as a guest. You have stood by Iraq and the Iraqi people for a very long time, starting with the -- getting rid of the dictatorship, helping the Iraqis to fight terrorism.
Your visit today to Iraq, Mr. President, comes after the signing of the agreement between the two countries, which represents -- (audio drop) -- foundation and draws a road map that will govern and guide the relationship between the two states.
I believe that Iraq, we have performed and have done great work in a cooperative and integrated way in fighting terror. We have succeeded in Iraq, and we hope that efforts also around the world will succeed in defeating terrorism. Today Iraq is moving forward in every field. Through the new Iraqi political system we are working very hard through this, as well as developing the Iraqi economy, and reconstruction of Iraq. We are doing all of this in order for Iraq to restore its rightful place among nations and among the world, and away from the previous reckless policies that focused on wars with the previous regime.
The various political institutions have taken a very strong leadership position and the agreement was ratified, was approved by our political system, our parliament, and various institutions of the Iraqi government. They have approved and ratified the SOFA agreement and the withdrawal of American forces. We believe that these efforts culminated the height of real understanding and cooperation and friendship between Iraq and the United States. Now remains the part of implementing such an agreement. Now we are in the process of forming the proper committees that will carry out all elements of the various two agreements that were signed -- and I'm referring to the various fields, military, scientific, educational, commerce, as well as economic fields.
President Bush, you have played a very supportive role in achieving and concluding this agreement and prior to the actual date of starting to implement this agreement, in January 1, '09 we already start working through the United Nations Security Council we are in the process of drafting a resolution that will make it very clear that Iraq no longer represents a threat to world peace and security. And also a resolution that will set the basis for the protection of Iraqi financial capabilities and bring Iraq back to its rightful place among world communities.
Once again I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you, Mr. President. Once again I wish you a very joyful stay here in Baghdad and a safe trip back home.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your kind invitation and your hospitality. I also want to thank the presidency council for their hospitality, as well. And I'm looking forward to some food. (Laughter.)
I am also looking forward to signing the joint statement here affirming two landmark agreements that solidify Iraq's democratic gains, that recognize Iraq's sovereignty, and that puts the relations between our two countries on a solid footing today and a solid footing tomorrow. They cement a strategic partnership between our two countries, and they pave the way for American forces to return home, as the war in Iraq approaches a successful end.
The Strategic Framework Agreement formalizes, as it says in the agreement, formalizes "a relationship of friendship and cooperation" between our two countries in the economic, diplomatic, cultural, and security fields. Under this agreement, we will work together to bring greater stability to Iraq and the region, as well as promote trade and investment between our nations. We will work to strengthen democratic institutions.
I'm sure you can remember what life was two years ago. When we were working together during that period such an agreement seemed unimaginable. Chaos and violence were consuming Iraq. The terrorists were seizing new ground, and the Iraqi people were beginning to divide the Iraqi people along sectarian lines. But you were determined, and I was determined to do something differently -- not to allow Iraq to fall into civil war.
And our plan is working. You notice I say "our plan." Today, violence is down dramatically. Al Qaeda is driven from its safe havens. Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds are sitting together at the same table to part -- to peacefully chart the future of this
country. There is hope in the eyes of Iraqis' young. This is a future of what we've been fighting for -- a strong and capable democratic Iraq that will be a force of freedom and a force for peace in the heart of the Middle East; a country that will serve as a source for stability in a volatile region; a country that will deny a safe haven to al Qaeda. As a result of these successes, Mr. Prime Minister, the American people are safer.
We're also signing a Security Agreement, sometimes called a Status of Forces Agreement. The agreement provides American troops and Defense Department officials with authorizations and protections to continue supporting Iraq's democracy once the U.N. mandate expires at the end of this year. This agreement respects the sovereignty and the authority of Iraq's democracy. The agreement lays out a framework for the withdrawal of American forces in Iraq -- a withdrawal that is possible because of the success of the surge.
These agreements result from careful consultations with the Prime Minister and the officials of Iraq, as well as our diplomats and our military commanders. They represent a shared vision on the way forward in Iraq.
The American people have sacrificed a great deal to reach this moment. The battle in Iraq has required a great amount of time and resources. Thousands of our finest citizens have given their lives to make our country safer and to bring us to this new day.
We also praise the thousands of the coalition forces that came, and the sacrifices that those countries have made. And the Iraqi people have sacrificed a lot. They've suffered car bombings and suicide attacks and IEDs, and desperate efforts by terrorists to destroy a young democracy. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have stepped forward to defend this democracy, and many have paid a dear price.
With these agreements, Mr. Prime Minister, we're honoring the sacrifices that I just described in the best possible way -- by building a freer, safer, and more hopeful world. By signing these agreements we're showing the people of Iraq the United States of America keeps its word. And we are showing the people of the Middle East that America stands firmly for liberty and justice and peace. And we are leaving the next President with a stable foundation for the future, and an approach that can enjoy broad bipartisan support at home.
There is still more work to be done. The war is not yet over -- but with the conclusion of these agreements and the courage of the Iraqi people and the Iraqi troops and American troops and civilian personnel, it is decisively on its way to being won.
Shukran Jazeelan.
(Audience interruption.)
PRESIDENT BUSH: Okay, everybody calm down for a minute. First of all thank you for apologizing on behalf of the Iraqi people. It doesn't bother me. And if you want some -- if you want the facts, it's a size 10 shoe that he threw. (Laughter.) Thank you for your concern, do not worry about it.
Q (As translated.) A question, Mr. Prime Minister and others, you all talked about the various gains that will come as a result of signing this agreement. But just quickly I have one question about the withdrawal of American forces. Is this going to be an accelerated process that will happen quickly and perhaps prematurely?
PRESIDENT BUSH: First of all, we're here at the Iraqi -- at the request of the Iraqi government. It's an elected government. There are certain benchmarks that will be met -- such as troops out of the cities by June of '09. And then there's a benchmark at the end of the agreement.
As to the pace of meeting those agreements, that will depend of course upon the Iraqi government, the recommendations of the Iraqi military, and the close coordination between General Odierno and our military.
These are very important agreements. And the government of Iraq worked very hard to get them through the parliament.
Jennifer.
Q (Inaudible.)
PRESIDENT BUSH: So what if a guy threw a shoe at me?
Q But you are also very (inaudible) about progress -- (inaudible). Do you consider this a victory lap?
PRESIDENT BUSH: No, I consider it a important step in -- on the road toward an Iraq that can sustain itself, govern itself and defend itself.
But let me talk about the guy throwing the shoe. It is one way to gain attention. It's like going to a political rally and having people yell at you. It's like driving down the street and have people not gesturing with all five fingers. It's a way for people to, you know, draw -- I don't know what the guy's cause is. But one thing is for certain -- he caused you to ask me a question about it. I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it. These journalists here were very apologetic, they were -- said, this doesn't represent the Iraqi people. But that's what happens in free societies, where people try to draw attention to themselves. And so I guess he was effected, because he caused you to say something about it.
Now, in terms of the agreements, this is a major achievement. Is it the end? Absolutely not. There is more work to be done. And all this basically says is we made good progress and we'll continue to work together to achieve peace. That's what we want -- freedom and peace. And so, no, I'm honored to be back here. It's my fourth visit to Iraq as a sitting President, and I have been looking forward to this visit. It's very kind of you, Mr. Prime Minister, to have invited me here.
END 8:29 P.M. (Local)
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President Bush Visits Troops in Iraq
Al Faw Palace - Camp Victory
Baghdad, Iraq

8:05 P.M. (Local)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you for coming out to say hello. General, thank you for the introduction, I am honored to be at Camp Victory.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: Laura and I have been having a lot of Christmas parties at the White House, so I thought it would be kind of neat to change the scenery.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: And I would rather be with the men and women of the United States military than with anybody else. (Applause.)
So as you can see I decided to fly over, and in the spirit of the season we renamed Air Force One to Rudolph One.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for coming. I bring greetings from a proud and grateful nation -- Merry Christmas to you, happy holidays. Congratulations on your inspiring accomplishments here in Iraq. And above all, thank you for volunteering to defend our country in a time of danger.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: This is a time of year to give thanks for our many blessings B- and the greatest blessing we have is freedom and the fact that we've got a United States military to defend that freedom.
So General, thank you very much for your leadership. I'm proud to be with you again. I appreciate the leadership of General Austin, as well. Ambassador Crocker and Christine are with us today. I had the pleasure of meeting Sergeant -- Command Sergeant Major Lawrence Wilson; Command Sergeant Major Joe Allen; Major General Hammond -- (applause) -- put it together for Hammond. (Laughter.)
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: Command Sergeant Major Gioia.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: Major General Oates. (Applause.) How about, have you ever heard of a guy named Redmore? (Applause.)
Thanks for coming out. I am thrilled to be here with the diplomats, embassy personnel who are so critical to our success.
I want to thank the Iraqi citizens who are here with us today. I appreciate your courage. I know there are members of the coalition who are here with us. There have been a lot of troops from around the world who have come to help this young democracy survive and thrive. And so I want to thank the citizens of those country [sic] and the troops who have served here before us.
This is my fourth trip to Iraq -- and you've probably heard I'm heading into retirement -- (laughter) -- so it's going to be my last trip as the President. But thanks to you, the Iraq we stand in tonight is dramatically freer, dramatically safer, and dramatically better than the Iraq we found eight years ago.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: And as a result of the sacrifices of our troops, America is safer, and America is more secure.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: I want to take you back to what life was like eight years ago here in Iraq. Iraq had a record of supporting terror, a record of developing and using weapons of mass destruction, was routinely firing at American military personnel, systematically violating United Nations resolution. Life for the Iraqi people was a nightmare, with Saddam Hussein torturing and murdering anyone who did not support his repressive rule. Iraq was a sworn enemy of the United States at the heart of the Middle East; the region was a serious threat to the us.
After the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, America concluded we could not tolerate a regime like this in a pivotal region of the world. I gave Saddam Hussein a chance to peacefully resolve the question as to whether or not he had weapons of mass destruction. You might remember, I went to the United Nations, where a body said: disarm, disclose, or face serious consequence. It was his choice to make. And he made the wrong choice. And so the United States military, with a vast coalition removed this man from power and the world is better off for it. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: I doubt in his worst nightmares he ever would have dreamt that we'd be standing in one of his palaces.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks to you, 25 million Iraqis are free.
Thanks to you, Iraq is no longer sponsoring terror -- it is fighting terror. It's making American people safer as a result.
The enemies of freedom in Iraq are determined, and this fight has been tough. Two years ago, the situation had grown dire -- the political process was frozen and sectarian violence was spiraling out of control. Some of you were here then/
Many said the mission was hopeless; many called for retreat. Retreat would have meant failure -- and failure is never an option.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: So instead of pulling troops out, we sent more troops in -- called the surge. And because of you and because of your courage, the surge is one of the greatest successes in the history of the United States military.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: Terrorists who once held safe havens across the country are being driven out of their strongholds. The political process that was once stalled is moving forward. Iraqi citizens once afraid to leave their homes are going back to school, and shopping in markets, and leading a more normal life. And American troops are returning home because of success.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: The dramatic turnaround you led in Iraq culminated in the two agreements completed last month, which the Prime Minister and I affirmed in a ceremony earlier today.
These agreements formalize the ties between our two democracies in areas ranging from security and diplomacy to culture and trade. These agreements show the way forward toward a historic day -- when American forces withdraw from a democratic and successful Iraq, and the war in this land is won.
There's more hard work to do before we reach that day. But if there is any -- but if there is no doubt -- but there is no doubt in my mind, there's just no doubt that we're going to reach that day. I am confident because our cause is just. And freedom is universal. I'm confident because the Iraqi people are showing unshakable determination and courage.
And above all, I am confident because I know the character and the strength of those who wear the uniform of the United States military.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: Over the past five years, you have shown the world some unmistakable truths:
You have shown that when America is tested, we rise to meet the test.
You have shown that the desire for freedom is more powerful than the intimidation of terrorists.
You have shown that there is no task too difficult for the United States military.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: And so I have a message for you and all who serve our country: I want to thank you for making the noble choice to serve and to protect your fellow Americans. Sometimes it can be hard to tell when history is being made, particularly if you're in the middle of the action. What you're doing in Iraq is as important, and courageous, and selfless as what American troops did in places like Normandy and Iwo Jima and Korea. Your generation is every bit as great as any that came before it. And the work you do every day will shape history for generations to come.
I guess what I'm telling you is your grandchildren some day are going to say, "Thank God you showed up and served."
America now has a strong friend and a partner in the fight against extremism in the heart of the Middle East, and that is historic.
People across this troubled region of the world now have an example for a more hopeful path -- a model of liberty that can prevail over tyranny and terror. Killers who wanted to take the lives of Americans back home have been brought to justice before they reached our shores.
Because of you all who work to protect this nation -- and all who work to protect the nation, America has done something many said was impossible: We have gone seven years without a terrorist attack.

AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: We think of those who have laid down their lives for freedom here in Iraq. Their children are growing up without a mom or a dad. But all of our children are growing up with something else -- the promise of a safer America and a better world. And that is the lasting memorial of all who have sacrificed here in Iraq. And thanks to you, that memorial will be achieved -- and their sacrifice will not be in vain.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: We think of your comrades who have been wounded. And this nation pledges that we will give them all the care and all the support they need to recover.
AUDIENCE: Hoo-ah!
THE PRESIDENT: We think of all your families back home. I know many of you have a sweetheart who misses you, or a daughter who longs for her dad, or a mom who worries about you day and night. For many of you, it won't be your first holiday away -- and that certainly doesn't make it easier. So I'm going to give you an order: When you get out of here, call home or email home; you tell your families you love them; and you tell the Commander-in-Chief came by to thank them for their sacrifice along with yours. (Applause.)
Thanks -- thanks for coming by to let me say hello. Thanks for serving the United States of America. They ask me what I'm going to miss as the President. I'll tell you what I'm going to miss: being the Commander-in-Chief of such a fabulous group of folks. May God bless you, and God bless America. (Applause.)
END 8:13 P.M. ES

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/

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M.O., Nucara: Israele si difende come meglio crede
Noi stiamo con Israele senza se e senza ma

Il segretario del Pri Francesco Nucara ha dichiarato: "Esattamente un anno fa ho guidato una delegazione del Partito repubblicano a Sderot, nessuno Stato può accettare a lungo nell'indifferenza dell'opinione pubblica internazionale di vedere la propria popolazione civile bersaglio continuo e costante dei missili Qassam. La pazienza di Israele ha un limite e lo stesso Abu Mazen ha evidenziato le responsabilità della fazione palestinese che comanda Gaza. A questo punto Israele si difende come meglio crede. Contiamo che il governo italiano sia vicino allo Stato ebraico in un frangente di questa delicatezza. Noi stiamo con Israele senza se e senza ma. Le soluzioni pilatesche non servono a nessuno".

tratto da http://www.pri.it/new/29%20Dicembre%...esaIsraele.htm

[Lincoln (POL)]

U.S. Dignitaries Dedicate New American Embassy in Baghdad
Transcrpit of Embassy Dedication Ceremony
EMBASSY DEDICATION
CEREMONY
January 5, 2009

AMBASSADOR CROCKER: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning, and welcome to the American Embassy in Baghdad. This is a historic occasion, and we are delighted that His Excellency, the President of Iraq is with us today to preside over this ceremony.

We also welcome their Excellencies, the Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, the Chief Justice, the Generals of the Iraqi Armed Forces, and our coalition partners.

Our first speaker this morning will be the man who made this embassy possible, the first American Ambassador to a free Iraq, and the current Deputy Secretary of State, John Negroponte.

(Applause.)

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. And thank you, President Talabani, for joining us today. Your presence and the presence of other -- Iraq's other national leaders at today's ceremony means a great deal to me, personally, to President Bush, and to Secretary Rice, and to the people and government of the United States.

Mr. President, you are a friend of freedom, and a friend of the United States. And I can think of no more fitting partner with whom to share this historic dedication than you, Sir. You have dedicated your life as a fighter and a statesman to a free, sovereign, and united Iraq.

And it is thanks, in large measure, to your courage and vision and steadfastness that today America and Iraq stand shoulder to shoulder as strong and confident equals, working together in friendship and common purpose.

I mentioned President Bush and Secretary Rice. And they both regret that they are not able to be here with us today. But I can think of no two individuals in our government who have been more dedicated to the freedom and the prosperity and the security of Iraq.
And let me say also, although he is a very modest man, that the United States owes a debt of gratitude to our ambassador to Iraq, Ambassador Ryan Crocker.

(Applause.)

It is thanks to his patience and tireless dedication and hard work with his Iraqi counterparts that the basis has been laid for the bilateral relationship going forward into future years, through the Status of Forces Agreement and the Strategic Framework Agreement. And it is from this embassy whose flag we are about to raise that the work of supporting and promoting the bilateral relationship will be done.

It is from here that the men and women, civilian and military, will help build the new Iraq. And it is from the embassy that you see before you that we will continue the tradition of friendship, cooperation, and support begun by the many dedicated Americans who have worked in Iraq since 2003.

As Ambassador Crocker mentioned, it was during my tenure as the United States’ first Ambassador to a free Iraq that we negotiated the agreement for the land on which this embassy has been built. I also had the great honor and privilege of working hand in hand with our coalition allies, yourself, and Iraq's other leaders to implement a successful election in 2005. This was Iraq's first, but certainly not last, step on the path of democratic governance.

Almost eight-and-a-half million Iraqis defied the car bombers and the assassins to cast their ballots. And the world watched in awe as jubilant Iraqis danced in the streets, and held ink-stained fingers, and celebrated their freedom. A second set of elections occurred a year later, and brought the current government to power. And 2009 marks Iraq's third series of national elections, and the peaceful transition of power that will follow.

For me, today's dedication ceremony is cause for both pride and humility. Pride at what our two nations have been able to accomplish. The return of the Republican Palace to the Government of Iraq last Thursday and the raising of the flag over a new embassy four days later are potent symbols of this record of achievement.

As one looks at the photographs and documents and other historical memorabilia in the building next to us, one cannot help but feel humbled as we continue a long and distinguished tradition of consular and diplomatic engagement with the people of Iraq going back as far as 1889. Our diplomatic relations began in 1931.

Looking out on this wonderful gathering and this magnificent new embassy, I look with great confidence to the future of United States-Iraq relations. Today marks the beginning of a new page in those relations, one that will build on and benefit from the legacy of those consular and diplomatic officers who have gone before us.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, and friends, we have a duty to honor this legacy. As we dedicate this new embassy, we also rededicate ourselves to the purpose for which it was built, and to the mission we serve, and that is to unite our two nations through ties of democracy, commerce, trade, education, culture, science, the rule of law, and security, and to help build in this great land a partnership of generations.

Thank you again, Mr. President, and all of our distinguished guests, for having joined us in this very important ceremony today. Thank you.

(Applause.)

AMBASSADOR CROCKER: Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the Republic of Iraq.

(Applause.)

PRESIDENT TALABANI: (Via interpreter.) In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate, your Excellencies, Secretary Negroponte, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the generals, and all our beloved American friends here today, and honored guests. I am pleased to be part of this dedication ceremony for the new embassy of the United States, a friendly nation to the new democratic, parliamentarian, federal, and independent, and united Iraq.

This landmark edifice could not have been built, nor could this democratic, federal, and independent Iraq have been possible without the courageous and historic decision by His Excellency, President George W. Bush, to liberate Iraq, to liberate Iraq from the most reprehensible form of dictatorship in the history of our people: one that led to futile, destructive wars, and mass graves for hundreds to thousands of citizens; one that squandered immense amounts of Iraq's wealth; and that destroyed generations of its men and women.

Therefore, due to their venerable civilization and their high moral and human values, the Iraqi people will never forget the assistance of our American friends, and will always be grateful for the sacrifices of your fallen ones.

The Iraqis are thankful and gracious people who highly value friendship, particularly since these sacrifices were part of a glorious tradition of such sacrifices made by the great American people to ward off aggression and oppression during the first and second world wars and in the Pacific, as well as in Afghanistan, Kurdistan, and Iraq.

This edifice that you have built is not only a part of this embassy, but a symbol of the deep and great affinity between the American and the Iraqi peoples.

Therefore, we have great hopes that this embassy will assume its anticipated and promising role in the strengthening, advancing, improving, and expanding American-Iraqi relations in political, economic, oil, military, cultural, technological, and all other aspects. Those who are working here at this embassy will find all available help and support from the Presidency Council in order to realize these lofty goals.

Allow me to express our firm belief that America's history will have a most favorable view of the liberation of Iraq, and the creation of a democratic, federal, and independent Iraq, which will serve as a model to be emulated by other peoples of the Eastern world, as well as a significant factor for stability, security, peace, and coexistence among the countries of this region.

As you know, Iraq is rich in its people, in its human resources, culture, civilization, and abundant resources. And, as such, it is qualified to assume the leading and promising role expected of it.

My dear American friends, on behalf of Iraq, I congratulate you on the completion of this landmark edifice, and on dedicating your new embassy to serve as a mission, as an emissary of friendship and cooperation in every respect. May God's peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.

(Applause.)

AMBASSADOR CROCKER: Mr. President, Mr. Secretary, thank you for those inspiring words.

As you noted, there is a lot of history between the United States and Iraq. The first American consul arrived in Baghdad 120 years ago this month. We have had many important moments throughout that history, for better or for worse. No period has been more intense, more challenging, and more promising than that since April 2003. And of that period, perhaps no single week has been more important than this past one.

On December 31st, we left the Republican Palace. At midnight that night, the last United Nations Chapter 7 Resolution declaring Iraq a threat to international peace and security expired. Iraq has now assumed the lead for all security operations. Our bilateral relationship, going forward, will now be guided by two bilateral agreements: a Security Agreement, and our Strategic Framework Agreement. Today we raise the flag over a new United States embassy.

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, Iraq is in a new era, and so is the Iraqi-United States relationship. This day is possible because of the commitment, achievements, and the sacrifice of Iraqis, Americans, and coalition partners. Today we remember them.

Today is about more than raising a flag and dedicating an embassy. It is about new directions and a new future. In the Security Agreement, we have made commitments, and we will fulfill those commitments while continuing to assist Iraqi forces in maintaining security. We were all reminded of the growing capability of those Iraqi forces in yesterday's impressive Army Day celebration.

The Strategic Framework Agreement will shape and define our bilateral relations in every aspect. In doing so, it recalls our history that is captured in the exhibition in this embassy: the 1938 Treaty of Commerce and Navigation; the 1945 Aid and Defense Agreement; the 1951 Educational Exchange Agreement; and the 1961 Cultural Agreement.

In the days ahead, the U.S. and Iraq will establish joint coordinating committees to guide our cooperation in the fields of culture, science, education, economy and energy, services and information technology, and law enforcement and the rule of law. This is our agenda for the future, as we forge a new relationship, a relationship between equal sovereign nations.

Iraq has a great and rich history. It is the cradle of civilization. It gave the world writing and laws and culture. And a democratic, federal, and secure Iraq will have an even greater future. From this new embassy in the years to come, we look forward to building our partnership, and contributing to that future.

On December 31st, a flag was lowered, and a chapter in U.S.-Iraqi history came to a close. Today, a flag is raised, and a new era begins.

Ladies and gentlemen, could I ask you to please stand for the rendition of the American and Iraqi national anthems.

(Anthem of Iraq is played.)

(Anthem of the United States of America is sung.)

http://iraq.usembassy.gov/ceremony.html

[Lincoln (POL)]

Bush riceve il saluto e l'apprezzamento delle forze armate USA.

President Bush Attends Military Appreciation Parade with Chairman of the Joint of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Fort Myer
Arlington, Virginia

10:21 A.M. EST
ADMIRAL MULLEN: President and Mrs. Bush; Mr. Vice President; Secretary and Mrs. Gates; members of the Cabinet; distinguished members of Congress; fellow members of the Joint Chiefs; members of the Armed Forces of the United States, past and present; ladies and gentlemen: Thank you for honoring us with your presence, and welcome to the grounds of the Old Guard, which both sanctify our past and herald our future.
On behalf of the 2.2 million uniform men and women of our Armed Forces, I am humbled to be able to formally thank President and Mrs. Bush for all they have done for our military and for our nation. More than 280,000 are walking point right now on the front lines. They stand tallest with us on this day, and it is right to thank them for making this celebration possible. (Applause.)
Truly it is not my privilege alone to tell the story of the Bush name -- a story that waits not only to be said in volumes, but one carried in the hearts of those patriots out there; a story which rushes with the oral history of life, warm with gratitude, flush with inspiration; a story best told by the voices of our service members themselves, who recently had an opportunity to place in a journal their thoughts to President and Mrs. Bush. Deborah and I passed that journal to the troops as we recently traveled around the world.
And so if you don't mind, Mr. President and Madam First Lady, I wanted to share a few handwritten lines from them.
"Mr. President, thank you and your family for your service. I am proud to serve under you, sir. You are awesome, and made a difference in the world." Staff Sergeant Ward, Queens, New York.
"Sir, nice to see that our President is still quick on his feet after eight years in office." (Laughter.) "Next time, pick up the shoe and throw it back." (Laughter and applause.) "We got your back." Master Sergeant Michael Frazier, United States Air Force.
"Sir, you truly set the standard to uphold the peace and our very way of life so our kids can grow up in a peaceful world. We will always stand tall, one great nation and one great state -- Texas." (Hoo-ah.) Sergeant First Class Claude Corey, Waco, Texas.
"Mrs. Bush, your class and dignity were an inspiration to us all." Lieutenant Colonel Scott Rainey, United States Army, Baghdad.
"Sir, thank you for your service, example and leadership. We have not faltered, we will not fail. With greatest respect and honor, we serve." Signed simply, Your Soldiers.
Those voices are an answering volley to you for your high regard and great respect for every single man and woman who serves this nation.
After this nation was attacked by a rising evil, the same evil which later murdered many others in places like London, Madrid, Islamabad and Mumbai, you quickly led us from the grip of fear to a serenity of purpose and unity of action -- serenity well beyond our dreams on September 12th, when all thought further attack was not only likely, but gravely imminent. And through your vision, a new national security was rendered to reach our enemies where they hid and trained and celebrated deadly crimes.
We sent our forces to hills and caves, alongside tribesman on horseback to root them out and hunt them down. We liberated Iraq from tyranny, now on the road to renewal. And we are shifting our focus to Afghanistan. We applauded as you, Mrs. Bush, worked for the freedom and education of young women, and gave hope to children scarred by hate. And always, sir, we felt your unmatched confidence in us, which only made us better.
Yes, we know these images well and we treasure them. But what wasn't always often an image was how you, as our First Family, fully embraced our military family with words of love and prayers of hope. For you have proven that how well we care for our wounded and the families of the fallen defines who and what we really are as a nation. You made it personal, and that has made all the difference.
With quiet dignity, you stretched out hands to those touched by loss, unimaginable loss that can never be made whole so they might be touched yet again.
There are many moments I will never forget, such as when you, Mr. President, presented Michael Monsoor's family with the Medal of Honor, and how in that very presidential setting you were so visibly moved. We will never know of all the private embraces and words of healing that you provided, but we do know the wholeness they created. For with every minute which melted into many gracious hours spent with our veterans and families, you gave something precious to us all -- gifts which will forever adorn our chords of memory.
Indeed, not far from these grounds where both Union and Confederate soldiers lay in white, tented hospitals, President Lincoln also walked through the lines and personally brought the meaning of hope and sacrifice to those straining to touch it from every side. So true today. A reporter who followed Lincoln wrote, "From the outset, he was the personal friend of every soldier he sent to the front, and somehow, every man seemed to know it." So true today.
In my 44 years of wearing this uniform, I have never seen the American public and our military as bonded in understanding, purpose, and spirit as I do right now. For this, Mr. President, we owe you our greatest gratitude.
Finally, sir, I want to personally thank you for your trust in me as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and, honestly, a trust I do not hold alone, a confidence every other uniformed member also holds so dear: the honor to serve and represent the American people.
Mr. President, you have selected a tremendous civilian leadership team in Secretary Gates and the Deputy Secretary, our former Secretary of the Navy, Gordon England. It is a great personal honor to serve alongside them.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you the Secretary of Defense, the honorable Robert Gates. (Applause.)
SECRETARY GATES: Thank you, Admiral Mullen.
Some of you of a certain generation might remember a line from the John Wayne movie, "Red River" -- an epic story of a thousand-mile cattle drive across Texas. At one point, one of the characters says, "There's three times in a life -- in a man's life when he has the right to yell at the moon -- when he marries, when his children come, and when he finishes a job he had to be crazy to start." (Laughter.) Well, before President Bush finishes his job, I'm pleased to have this chance, on behalf of the United States military, to pay tribute to our Commander-in-Chief, and to give him proper thanks.
The legacy of George W. Bush in matters of war and peace began taking form more than a year before he first took the oath of office. In the fall of 1999, then Governor Bush gave a speech at the Citadel, titled, "A Period of Consequences." He observed that nearly a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States military was still organized more for Cold War threats than for the challenges of a new century -- what he called an era of car-bombers and plutonium merchants and cyber-terrorists and drug cartels and unbalanced dictators, all the unconventional and invisible threats of new technologies and old hatreds.
On a bright Tuesday morning in September, eight months into President Bush's first term, we learned how dangerous and unpredictable this new era could be, and saw in the starkest terms how necessary was the task of transforming the American defense establishment to meet these challenges. It was a task inspired by the vision of President Bush, propelled by the energetic advocacy of Secretary Rumsfeld, informed by the experience of our senior military leaders, and accelerated by the urgent demands of two unconventional ground wars.
The result is an American military that has become more agile, lethal, and prepared to deal with the full spectrum of 21st century conflict -- and on a personal note, a force that is dramatically more deployable and expeditionary than when I last served in government 15 years ago.
Consider just a few of the historical changes: The Army has undergone its most significant restructuring in more than two generations, moving from a division-based to a modular brigades-based force. The Navy's fleet response plan has nearly doubled the number of strike carrier groups that can be surged in the first weeks of a crisis.
America's Special Forces have seen vast increases in budget, personnel, authorities, and most importantly, in capabilities in the campaign against terrorism worldwide. The number of unmanned aerial vehicles has grown some 40-fold, to more than 6,000, and we have seen a genuine revolution in the military's ability to fuse intelligence and operations.
Cold War basing arrangements in Germany, Korea and Japan have been modernized and sized to better reflect the security requirements of this century. New authorities and programs enable the military to build the capacity of allies and partners in cooperation with civilian agencies and organizations. And much, much more.
As this historical institutional shift was underway, President Bush led our military through two major conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a broader struggle against terrorist networks worldwide. He has not flinched when faced with difficult wartime decisions, including the momentous decision two years ago to send more troops into Iraq and revamp our strategy there.
Nor has the President ever hidden from the human consequences of his decisions. We have seen this in countless visits with the wounded at Walter Reed, Bethesda, and other military hospitals. And there are the meetings that he and the First Lady have held with thousands of family members of wounded and fallen troops. The President's deep regard and affection for our service members and their families has played out in ways big and small: Surprise visits to Iraq and Afghanistan to shake hands and high-five, and personal phone calls to those deployed over Thanksgiving, even the occasional chest bump to unwary cadets.
Some might remember the story of Staff Sergeant Michael McNaughton of Louisiana National Guard. In January 2003, he stepped on a landmine 30 miles north of Kabul, and lost his right leg. President Bush visited Michael at Walter Reed, and suggested they go for a run when he received his prosthetic. Months later, Michael and the President jogged around the South Lawn of the White House together. A single promise to a single soldier: A small act that reflects President Bush's commitment to care for and honor every member of the Armed Forces.
Mr. President, every day these volunteers execute your orders with courage and determination, facing down danger for the greater good of America. On behalf of more than two million men and women in uniform, we are deeply grateful for your leadership and service to America in a time of war.
Finally, and personally, I would like to thank you for granting me the opportunity to serve as Secretary of Defense. It is true that I have been known to grouse from time to time about coming back to Washington, D.C. Yet working every day with our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines has been the greatest honor of my life. And I will always owe you a debt of gratitude for that. I have appreciated your steadfast confidence and support over these past two years, and I wish you and Laura the very best as you begin the next phase of your lives.
Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. At ease.
Mr. Secretary, thank you for the kind introduction -- and thank you for being an outstanding Secretary of Defense. (Applause.) For a while, we expected this event to be a joint retirement party. It didn't turn out that way, did it? (Laughter.) I am pleased that President-Elect Obama has asked you to stay on, and I am confident that you'll continue to be a strong leader as the Secretary of Defense. (Applause.)
And, Admiral Mullen, thank you for your strong advice, your clear thinking, and your years of service to our country. (Applause.)
I want to thank you for honoring Laura, who's been a fabulous First Lady. (Applause.) The military gave her the Distinguished Service Award -- a lot of friends from Texas think she deserved the Purple Heart. (Laughter.) I wish I'd have thought of the roses.
Mr. Vice President, I am proud to have served with you for eight years. The military has had no stauncher defender in my administration than Vice President Dick Cheney. (Applause.)
I thank members of the Cabinet, members of the administration, and former members of the Cabinet, especially the former Secretary of Defense, who did an outstanding job -- Secretary Don Rumsfeld. (Applause.)
I thank the current members of the Joint Chiefs and their families, as well as the former members of the Joint Chiefs and their families for joining us today. I want to thank those who wear the uniform; distinguished guests.
As my time in office winds down, the days bring a series of "lasts." I made my last overseas trip on Air Force One. I have delivered my final college commencement as President. And after much consideration, I pardoned my last Thanksgiving turkey. (Laughter.) These have all been wonderful experiences. But nothing compares to the honor of standing before you today, and addressing America's Armed Forces as your Commander-in-Chief.
Over the past eight years, I have seen the valor of the American military time and time again. I saw your valor on September the 11th, 2001, in service members rushing into smoke-filled corridors to save their colleagues at the Pentagon -- and in planes patrolling the skies above New York City and Washington. I saw your valor in the days after the attack, when Americans crowded into recruiting centers across our country, raised their hands to serve, and pledged to defend our people and our freedom.
I saw your valor in the forces who deployed to Afghanistan. Within weeks of September the 11th, you closed down the terrorist training camps, and you drove the Taliban from power. I saw your valor in the fearless troops who stormed across the Iraqi desert -- and destroyed a regime that threatened America. I saw your valor in battle-tested warriors who signed up for a second, or third, or fourth tour -- and made the surge in Iraq one of the great successes in America's military history.
The valor of America's Armed Forces have made our nation safer. Because you've taken the fight to the terrorists abroad, we have not had to face them here at home. And the world has seen something that almost no one thought possible: More than seven years after September the 11th, there has not been another attack on American soil.
The decisions I made as your Commander-in-Chief have not always been popular. But the cause you have served has always been just and right. The missions you have carried out have always been necessary. And the work you have done has every bit -- has been every bit as courageous and idealistic as that of any generation that came before you.
In the years since the war on terror began, America's Armed Forces have led the largest military liberation since World War II. Because of your actions, more than 50 million Afghans and Iraqis have seen the chains of despotism broken -- and are living in the liberty that the Creator intended. The new wave of freedom in the Middle East has made America more secure at home -- because it is undermining the culture of tyranny that fosters radicalism.
There will become a day when your grandchildren will ask, what did you do during your time in uniform? And you'll be able to say: We made the military stronger. We made the world freer. And we made America more secure.
You'll be able to tell them the story of the first decade in the 21st century -- their early days of a generational struggle against terror and extremism. It is a story of a global coalition led by the United States that is dedicated to eliminating the forces of oppression and fear. It is the story of the Iraqi people proudly holding up ink-stained fingers to show that the threat of violence could not break their commitment to liberty. It is the story of young girls going to school in Afghanistan after years when educating a woman could be punished with beatings or imprisonment. It is the story about the character in men and women who volunteered to leave the comforts of home to defend freedom and keep our nation safe.
On behalf of the American people, I thank you for making that sacrifice. I know you have not shouldered the burdens of military life alone. You've had the support of strong and loving families to sustain you. And this morning, I want all of you and your families to hear your Commander-in-Chief loud and clear: We appreciate you, we love you, and we honor your service. (Applause.)
We also honor our wounded warriors -- and those who never returned home from the field of battle. In their sacrifices, we see one of the extraordinary legacies of our Armed Forces -- the willingness to give everything to secure safety at home and liberty abroad.
As the Admiral pointed out, we saw that selfless spirit in people like Petty Officer Michael Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who served in Iraq. In the fall of 2006, on a rooftop in Iraq, Mike threw himself onto a grenade in order to save the lives of his teammates. As Admiral Mullen mentioned, I had the honor of presenting Michael Monsoor's parents his posthumous Medal of Honor in the White House. On that day, I saw the deep sadness that is familiar to anyone who has lost a loved one in the line of duty. But I also saw the pride that comes with such noble sacrifice -- and the recognition that our freedom and our security only endure because of the acts of bravery like Michael Monsoor's.
That kind of courage, character, and devotion defines our Armed Forces. So this morning, I cannot accept your kind tribute unless I'm allowed to return the favor. To the men and women of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and all those who serve in the Department of Defense: You have the respect of a grateful nation that you have kept safe. You have the admiration of millions around the world who would have never tasted freedom without you. You have the undying love and respect of a man who has been proud to call himself your Commander-in-Chief.
Two weeks from today, Laura and I will take our final trip back to Texas -- or, as you Texans understand, back to the promised land. We have the honor of doing it onboard a 747 piloted by the United States Air Force -- Colonel Mark Tillman will be the lead pilot. This brings a fitting symmetry: The military brought me to Washington eight years ago -- and on January the 20th, the military is taking me home.
We will take with us many fond memories that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. We will always remember that you answered the call to serve when your nation needed you most. We will always remember that you did your duty with honor and dignity. And we will always remember the debt of gratitude that each of us who lives in freedom owes to each of you who has protected it.
May God bless you. And may God always bless the United States. (Applause.)
END 10:49 A.M. EST

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------------------------------------
BUSH CONFERISCE LA MEDAGLIA PRESIDENZIALE DELLA LIBERTA'
a Tony Blair,all'ex premier australiano Howard e al Presidente Colombiano Uribe.

January 13, 2009
President Bush Honors Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients


Recipients of Medal of Freedom
1:07 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon to everybody, and thank you all for coming. We have assembled quite a distinguished crowd to honor three good friends -- President Uribe, Prime Minister Howard, and Prime Minister Blair. Laura and I welcome you to the White House.
You'll always be welcome in this country. And we hope to have you come down and visit us in Texas. As you probably have heard, we're changing addresses here -- (laughter) -- in a little less than seven days.
We're delighted to have a lot of distinguished guests, people who have worked with you throughout your time in office. Members of your family who are here, we're really glad you've come.
I want to thank the Vice President, members of the Cabinet, and members of the Congress who have joined us, as well. We offer a special welcome to those who are personal friends of the honorees. I know they're as delighted to have you here as I am.
In a few moments the military aide will read the citations for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medal is America's highest civil award. It is given in recognition of exemplary achievement, and to convey the utmost esteem of the people and the President of the United States.
In these eight years I have presented the Medal of Freedom to some of our most eminent citizens. On occasion, I've also had the honor of presenting it to citizens of other lands, who inspired particular admiration in the United States and provided courageous leadership to our world. Among these recipients have been Vaclav Havel, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nelson Mandela, and the late Pope John Paul II.
This afternoon I'm pleased to award the Medal of Freedom to three extraordinary leaders. We honor a sitting President and two former Prime Ministers -- each one of them a true friend of the United States who met historic challenges with great tenacity, and who provides a lasting example of statesmanship at home and abroad.
The first day I met Tony Blair, almost exactly eight years ago, he was in his second term as Prime Minister and I was just starting out. After our first meeting, a reporter asked if we'd found anything in common, and I jokingly replied that we both used Colgate toothpaste. (Laughter.)
The truth is I did feel a close connection to Tony Blair. As I said after the first meeting, I knew that "when either of us gets in a bind, there will be a friend on the other end of the phone." My friend was there, indeed, after America was attacked on September the 11th, 2001. And it just wasn't on the phone line. When I stood in the House Chamber to ask the civilized world to rally to freedom's cause, there in the gallery was the staunch friend, Prime Minister Tony Blair.
He was there in a moment of trial to affirm the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. And he was there to show America, and all nations, that he understood the stakes in the war on terror. As he said, "just as the terrorist seeks to divide humanity in hate, so we have to unify it around an idea. And that idea is liberty." Under Tony Blair's leadership, the might and the moral authority of Great Britain have been applied to the war on terror from the first day. Our nations have worked proudly together to destroy terrorist havens, liberate millions, and help rising democracies to serve the aspirations of their people.
Tony Blair's entire career is defined by his devotion to democratic values and human dignity. At his very center, this man believes in freedom -- freedom from oppression, freedom from hunger, freedom from disease, and freedom from fear and despair. In the House of Commons, as the longest-serving Labour Prime Minister in history, he fought to lift up his nation's communities and better the lives of all its people. He helped turn generations of violence in Northern Ireland into years of peace. He drew the attention and conscience of the world to the suffering in Africa, and he continues to serve the cause of peace and democracy as the Quartet Envoy to the Middle East.
Out of office but still in public life, Tony Blair remains on the world stage as a man of high intelligence and insight -- and above all, as a man of faith and idealism and integrity. The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will stand tall in history. And today the United States of America proudly honors its gallant friend, Tony Blair. (Applause.)
John Howard of Australia has spent a lot of years in politics. He's won some, and he's lost a few. There was even a time, two decades ago, when he thought his days of political leadership might be over. A comeback, he said, would be like "Lazarus with a triple bypass." (Laughter.) The man has got an unusual way of speaking. (Laughter.)
With his plainspoken style and unpretentious manner, John Howard did make a comeback. He rose to his nation's highest elected office, won four straight elections, and served longer than all other Australian prime ministers but one. And all the while, John Howard retained his close connection with the people of his country. His time in office was marked by great national confidence and prosperity and rising global influence. He won the respect of leaders around the world for his commitment to free markets, cooperation, and the peaceful resolution of differences. He was a faithful steward of Australia's alliances, and a sturdy friend in a time of need.
At an event here in Washington, he reflected on the many tests that our two countries faced together in the 20th century. He spoke with feeling about our shared values -- as well as our obligation to defend them, and "if necessary fight for them, and be ready to repel those who would seek to take [our] freedoms away."
As it happens, John Howard spoke those words on Monday, September the 10th, 2001 -- and in all that followed, he proved true to his convictions. He always has been brave in the defense of freedom. In these seven years, both our countries have lost innocent civilians and suffered casualties on the field of battle. But this man, who saw the burning Pentagon on September the 11th, and who confronted -- comforted the survivors of Bali, never wavered in his commitment to overcoming this great danger to civilization. He never wavered in his support for liberty, and free institutions, and the rule of law as the true and hopeful alternatives to ideologies of violence and repression. He's a man of honesty and moral clarity. He can make a decision, he can defend it, and he stands his ground. That's why I called him a Man of Steel.
In the character of John Winston Howard we see that fine Australian spirit of "standing by your mates." Our two countries, though half a world apart, have long enjoyed an easy and natural fellowship. And the 25th Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia stands for all that Americans like and admire most about his wonderful country.
So, Mr. Prime Minister, our friend, welcome to the White House, and congratulations. (Applause.)
National leaders sometimes take office without fully knowing all the tests that await them. But when Alvaro Uribe became the President of Colombia, the challenges were in full view. He knew exactly what he was getting into.
For more than a generation, good and decent people across that country had lived at the mercy of brutal drug cartels and illegal armed groups. A contagion of terrorist violence and killings and kidnappings had shaken the political system and caused many Colombians to despair for their nation's future. Early in this decade, the Republic of Colombia was near the point of being, at best, a failed state -- or, at worst, a narco-state. In those conditions, it took more than ambition and ideals to run for political office -- it required immense personal courage and strength of character.
As a presidential candidate in 2002, Alvaro Uribe pledged to his people greater security, a healthier democracy, and a better chance for prosperous lives. He was elected on a theme that expressed perfectly what the Colombian people desired in a president: "Strong hand, and big heart."
President Uribe's leadership has been resolute and uncompromising. Today in Colombia, homicides are down 40 percent, kidnappings are down more than 80 percent, terror attacks are down by more than 75 percent. The forces of violence are on the defensive, and the people are reclaiming their country.
President Uribe's fellow citizens know him as someone who speaks forthrightly and follows through on his commitments. With his lifelong interest in public policy, he has a phenomenal grasp of the details of governing. At the same time, he has formed a powerful bond with his people. They met their President in town halls across the country. They've seen him deliver results. They like him and they trust him -- and they have made him the first Colombian leader in the modern era to win reelection.
Lately I've been asked to reflect on the most memorable events of my presidency. Among those is a phone call I received several months ago from President Uribe. He called to say that a group of hostages -- including three Americans that had been held in captivity for five years -- had been rescued, and were alive and safe and sound. It was a joyful moment, Mr. President. And it was a credit to your leadership.
For President Uribe, the great demands of office continue. Today the United States honors all Colombians by honoring the man they have chosen to lead them. By refusing to allow the land he loves to be destroyed by an enemy within, by proving that terror can be opposed and defeated, President Uribe has reawakened the hopes of his countrymen and shown a model of leadership to a watching world. Colombia remains a nation with challenges. But the future will always be bright in a country that produces such men as President Alvaro Uribe.
Congratulations, mi amigo. (Applause.)
Each of these gentlemen we honor today has his own style and personality, and each has amassed distinctions and achievements that belong to him alone. Yet all of them have shown a firm adherence to the principles of freedom and democratic values, and a willingness to face problems squarely instead of passing them on to others. They're the sort of guys who look you in the eye and tell you the truth and keep their word. In lengthy service they proved to be leaders of character and fortitude. They are warm friends of the United States of America. The opportunity to know them and work with them has been among the great satisfactions of my time as President. I respect them and I admire them.
And now I ask the military aide to read the citations, and it will be my honor to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Tony Blair, John Howard, Alvaro Uribe.
MILITARY AIDE: Tony Blair. Tony Blair has been a powerful force of freedom and for building understanding among nations. As Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he was instrumental in helping millions of people secure their freedom in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone; forging a new era of peace in Northern Ireland, providing humanitarian assistance around the globe, especially in Africa, and strengthening the relationship between our two nations. Throughout his career, and in his role as Quartet Representative to the Middle East, he has worked to provide people with opportunities to better their lives.
The United States honors Tony Blair for his lifelong dedication to building a more just and peaceful world. (Applause.)
(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)
MILITARY AIDE: John Winston Howard. During a career of public service spanning four decades, John Howard has been an unwavering champion of democracy and freedom. As Prime Minister of Australia, he helped deliver unparalleled prosperity to his country's people through staunch adherence to free market principles.
Relations between the two countries were never closer than under his stewardship and after the attacks of September 11, 2001. He worked steadfastly to combat the scourge of terrorism, bring freedom to millions of people, promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
The United States honors John Winston Howard for his lifelong efforts to spread hope and freedom throughout the world. (Applause.)

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)
MILITARY AIDE: Alvaro Uribe Velez. As President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe has championed the rule of law in a country that endured decades of violence at the hands of illegal armed groups. He has demonstrated a deep commitment to the prosperity of Colombia's people, and his bold policies have spread democratic values and established the foundation for lasting peace throughout Colombia.
He has been a courageous partner of the United States. And under his leadership, Colombia has become a model for countries seeking reconciliation and the establishment of a society based on respect for human dignity.
The United States honors Alvaro Uribe Velez for his commitment to freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. (Applause.)
(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: In honor of these distinguished gentlemen, Laura and I invite you to stay for a reception in the State Dining Room. Please enjoy yourselves, and thank you for joining us here at the White House. (Applause.)
END 1:26 P.M. EST

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[Lincoln (POL)]

Kagan: «Gli europei resteranno delusi»

ELENA MOLINARI


L’idealismo neocon sta per cedere il passo a un nuovo realismo nella politica estera americana? A una visione più modesta delle responsabilità e delle capacità americane nel mondo? Non per Robert Kagan, politologo di scuola neoconservatrice che ha consigliato John McCain in campagna elettorale («Su base saltuaria e non retribuita» sottolinea) e ora dice di sentirsi «vendicato» dall’elezione di Barack Obama.
Perché?
Per la continuità che vedremo in politica estera. Nessuno nella squadra di Obama è noto per il non interventismo in affari esteri. Hillary Clinton ha appoggiato l’intervento in Kosovo e ha votato per la guerra in Iraq. È una genuina internazionalista liberal, ma George W. Bush non era certo un isolazionista. Penso che con Obama, come con Bush, vedremo un presidente disposto a farsi valere. Se necessario anche unilateralmente, come ha già sottolineato la sua ambasciatrice all’Onu, Susan Rice.
Si aspetta che continui l’atteggiamento aggressivo verso il resto del mondo rimproverato alla presidenza Bush?
Non penso che l’amministrazione Obama andrà a cercare occasioni per intervenire. Ma certo non si opporrà all’uso del potere americano per difendere i nostri interessi all’estero, se fossero anche solo minacciati. E dico minacciati, non attaccati.
Prevede maggiore collaborazione con le istituzioni internazionali?
Bush ha già fatto un lavoro molto serio e continuato con la Nato, con il G8 e nei colloqui a sei sulla Corea del Nord. Quanto all’Onu, le difficoltà del consiglio di sicurezza prescindono dall’atteggiamento americano. Il consiglio è diviso sulle questioni principali e non è più rappresentativo del potere mondiale.
Obama dice di voler dialogare con l’Iran. Non è una svolta?
Il tema Iran potrebbe inizialmente apparire come il cambiamento principale rispetto agli ultimi otto anni. Il problema sorgerà quando, com’è probabile, Teheran non risponderà in modo costruttivo all’apertura al dialogo. Allora mi aspetto che la nuova amministrazione diventi più aggressiva, come ha sottinteso Hillary Clinton quando ha detto in Senato che con l’Iran «tutte le opzioni restano sul tavolo».
In Iraq sia Bush sia Obama sono ormai per il ritiro. Vede qualche differenza?
Minime. L’accordo sullo status delle forze Usa in Iraq è stato negoziato dall’amministrazione Bush e fissa le date per il ritiro. Grazie ai successi in Iraq dell’ultimo anno, le differenze fra chi voleva ritirarsi subito e chi voleva rimanere sono evaporate.
E in Medio Oriente cosa prevede?
Uno sforzo di trasformare la crisi di Gaza in un’opportunità per la costruzione di una pace duratura: la Casa Bianca e il dipartimento di Stato non si rivolteranno all’improvviso contro Israele. L’amministrazione Obama sarà probabilmente attiva ma senza cambiare l’equilibrio di poteri nella regione.
Più attiva della precedente?
Dipende da cosa si intende per attiva. Per gli europei «attivismo» è un eufemismo di «pressione su Israele». Rimarranno delusi

[nuvolarossa]

Obama alla Casa Bianca
Presidenza destinata a segnare in profondità la storia del mondo

di Italico Santoro

Con la cerimonia di oggi – il giuramento e il discorso alla nazione – Barack Obama si insedia alla Casa Bianca. George W. Bush abbandona la scena e la sua presidenza si sfila dal dibattito politico per passare al giudizio degli storici.

In questo lungo intermezzo – quasi tre mesi fra il risultato elettorale e l'effettiva assunzione di responsabilità – Barack Obama ha avuto modo non solo di definire la squadra di governo ma anche di approfondire e precisare le guidelines della sua presidenza. Gli Stati Uniti dovranno affrontare, nei prossimi mesi ed anni, problemi di ampia portata, sul piano interno come su quello internazionale, e sarà necessario un impegno corale e straordinario per rispondere alle attese che durante e dopo la campagna elettorale si sono concentrate sul giovane senatore.

I problemi, come si è detto, sono tanti. Ma neppure vanno enfatizzati. Non è la prima volta, dopo la seconda guerra mondiale, che gli Stati Uniti si trovano a dover dipanare una matassa talmente intricata da apparire inestricabile. Basta rileggere quello che ha scritto Fareed Zakaria riferendosi all'America a cavallo tra gli anni settanta e l'inizio degli ottanta, quando giovane studente vi approdò dall'India. Il paese "non se la passava granché bene … la disoccupazione toccava il 10,8 per cento, il valore più alto raggiunto nel secondo dopoguerra. I tassi d'interesse si libravano attorno al 15 per cento. Il Vietnam, il Watergate, la crisi energetica e la crisi degli ostaggi iraniani avevano minato la fiducia in sé degli americani. Le immagini degli elicotteri pronti a partire sui tetti dell'ambasciata americana a Saigon, di Nixon che rassegnava le dimissioni, delle lunghe file alle stazioni di servizio e degli ostaggi bendati erano ancora vive negli occhi della gente. L'Unione Sovietica stava attraversando un periodo di successo, allargando la propria influenza ben al di là dei suoi confini – dall'Afghanistan all'Angola all'America centrale … Israele aveva invaso il Libano ed era diventata più tesa la già precaria situazione mediorientale". Solo pochi anni prima il Dipartimento di Stato americano aveva elaborato la dottrina Sonnenfeldt, che consegnava in via definitiva al controllo dell'URSS l'Europa orientale; e un realista come Henry Kissinger aveva dichiarato che il suo compito era quello di assicurare agli Stati Uniti, nel mondo, il miglior secondo posto possibile: una frase poi smentita ma che fotografava comunque molto bene il rassegnato "declinismo" di quegli anni.

C'era, insomma, un intreccio di problemi politici ed economici, interni ed internazionali, non meno gravi di quello attuale. Con la stagflation - un mostro a due teste che sommava l'inflazione alla stagnazione – al posto della crisi finanziaria: e che fu debellato dal decisionismo politico del nuovo presidente, Ronald Reagan, e grazie alla grande competenza dell'uomo preposto alla guida della Federal Riserve, quel Paul Volcker che è tornato ad essere uomo-chiave nel team economico di Obama.

Di un'America in un certo senso simile il nuovo Presidente dovrà farsi carico. E di un mondo altrettanto instabile, carico di problemi e di pericoli. Che attende ancora una volta dall'iniziativa degli Stati Uniti quelle risposte globali che solo la grande democrazia americana è in grado di dare: a cominciare dagli europei, che – come ha scritto Marta Dassù – "invece di fare fino in fondo la propria parte, continueranno ad attendere l'ora in cui ripartirà la locomotiva di Washington". Una responsabilità grave, quella americana, che rappresenta il fardello storico degli Stati Uniti e che ricade ora sul nuovo e giovane presidente.

Vittorio Emanuele Parsi ha scritto che Barack Obama è "l'ultima chance" per impedire il declino americano. Noi non sappiamo se questo sia vero, anche perché si tratta di processi molto più complessi e imprevedibili di quanto la mente umana possa immaginare. Quello che invece si può dire con certezza è che la presidenza Obama – per i problemi di cui dovrà farsi carico e per la vicenda personale dell'uomo – sarà destinata a segnare in profondità la storia del mondo.

tratto da http://www.pri.it/new/

[Lincoln (POL)]

Mentre si insedia Obama, non dimentichiamo i successi di Bush
l'editoriale di Fiamma Nirenstein




Da pagina 6 de Il GIORNALE del 20 gennaio 2009, il commento di Fiamma Nirenstein sull'avvicendamento delle amministrazioni Bush e Obama.

Dando il benvenuto a Obama, certi delle sue qualità e della bella novità che l’America abbia un presidente nero. ...,il presidente uscente si allontana dalla scena mentre porta con sé i buoni risultati del “surge” del generale Petraeus in Irak;... biasimato soprattutto per la guerra in Irak, incamera un patto di reciproco aiuto strategico fra Washington e Bagdad. L’Afghanistan e il Pakistan atomico sono stati bloccati sulla via dell’integralismo. Uno dei peggiori dittatori della storia è stato sconfitto, i profughi iracheni sono tornati a casa, i sunniti si sono rivoltati contro la sunnita Al Qaida, gli sciiti si sono staccati nella maggior parte dall’Iran, la democrazia fa capolino nelle comunicazioni, nelle scuole, nell’economia, nelle istituzioni, negli accordi… È dura, errori ci sono stati, ma il terrore è stato lontano dall’America per sette anni, la crescita certo non imputabile, e invece imputata a Bush dell’offensiva islamista non ha impedito buoni rapporti americani con tutto il fronte musulmano moderato. Se anzi si può addebitare a Bush un errore, è quello di non aver combattuto il terrorismo in Irak con più forze militari e di non aver chiuso il confine con la Siria.
Obama ha invitato a unirsi a lui il ministro della Difesa Bob Gates, il ministro del Tesoro Timothy Geitner e molti altri uomini della gestione che finisce oggi. Ha mandato a Bagdad il suo vice John Biden, che a suo tempo aveva votato sì alla guerra e ora l’orientamento per lo sgombero (totale n.d.a.)è per i tre anni; Obama ha invitato per una conversazione «molto utile» il cattivissimo Dick Cheney: sul terrorismo ha accettato il suo consiglio, ha detto, di non decidere nulla senza avere in mano tutti gli elementi.
Bush è inviso semplicemente perché ha proposto agli europei l’ineluttabilità della guerra al terrore, di cui l’Europa non vuole sentire parlare. Bush non è mai stato, come si dice oggi, né il paladino della guerra fra civiltà né quello dell’unilateralismo. Nessuna mala parola sull’Islam è mai uscita dalla sua bocca. Egli si è piuttosto servito di una categoria storica e non ideologica, quella della dittatura e del totalitarismo che alimentano il terrorismo per propri interessi: per questo, oltre che naturalmente per difendere il proprio Paese dopo l’attacco dell’11 settembre, ha promosso l’idea della democratizzazione come antidoto al terrore, e non certo quella della conquista ideologica cristiana. Se si rileggono i discorsi di Bush si vede che la sua dottrina democratica è un tentativo in parte riuscito di fermare il terrorismo.

Quanto all’unilateralismo, Bush andò alla guerra con 46 Stati, e lavorò ventre a terra per ottenere la solidarietà dell’Europa, che era e restò divisa. Disse più volte che da soli al mondo non si può fare niente di buono. La sua espressione «moral clarity» è divenuta un modo di dire, e di questo non si può che dirgli grazie. Ha vissuto un tempo difficile e nuovo, e ha combattuto. Anche Obama, mentre incrocia le dita sperando di non dovere affrontare simili prove, certo lo sa.