The President drew attention to other critical issues and the responsibilities the US and the UN must bear:

• Confronting persistent poverty and raging disease.
  
• The United States joins the world in supplying aid, and we are working to extend trade, prosperity and medical care.
  
• The President announced that the United States will return to UNESCo.
  
• He praised reforms of the organization and committed America to participate fully in its mission to advance human rights, tolerance, and learning.
  
• Regional conflicts challenge our common security.
  
• Reiterating the call for a Palestinian state he made before UNGA one year ago, the President said America stands committed to an independent and democratic Palestine, living beside Israel in peace and security.

Palestinians deserve a government that serves their interests, just as the world must work toward a comprehensive settlement to the conflict.

A Vision for Iraq

The President outlined two visions of Iraq’s future.

Without action, the people of Iraq will continue to live in brutal submission. The regime will have new power to bully, dominate, and conquer its neighbors, condemning the Middle East to more years of bloodshed and fear. The region will remain unstable, with little hope of freedom, and isolated from the progress of our times.

If we act, we can see a very different future. The people of Iraq can shake off their captivity. They can one day join a democratic Afghanistan and a democratic Palestine, inspiring reforms throughout the Muslim world. These nations can demonstrate that honest government, and respect for women, and the great Islamic tradition of learning can triumph in the Middle East and beyond.

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