For Immediate Release
February 23, 2004

Global Message
From President Bush's Radio Address, 2/21/04

Many terrorists have learned the meaning of justice over the last 29 months. Nearly two-thirds of al-Qaida's known leaders have been captured or killed.

Success in the war on terror requires that we confront regimes that might arm terrorists with the ultimate weapons.

America is determined to meet this danger, and to deny terrorists and dangerous regimes the ability to threaten us with the world's most deadly weapons.

For 12 years, Saddam Hussein defied the international community. The former dictator refused to disarm or account for his illegal weapons and programs.

The U.S. government, members of Congress, and the UN Security Council looked at the intelligence and all saw a threat.

We all knew of Saddam Hussein's history of waging war on neighboring countries; his aspiration to dominate the Middle East; his cultivation of ties to terrorists; and his construction and hiding of weapons of mass destruction.

Recently in Iraq, we intercepted a letter sent by Abu Massad Al-Zarqawi, who is one of Osama bin Laden's top lieutenants, to al-Qaida members. Zarqawi urged them to wage terrorist war on our coalition in Iraq.

Zarqawi and men like him have made Iraq the central front in our war on terror. The terrorists know that the emergence of a free Iraq will be a major blow against the worldwide terrorist movement.