The White House
President George W. Bush
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 19, 2006

Fact Sheet: Address to the UN General Assembly: A More Hopeful World Beyond Terror and Extremism

      President Bush Addresses United Nations General Assembly
      In Focus: Global Diplomacy
     

Today, The President Addressed The United Nations General Assembly And Spoke About A More Hopeful World Beyond Terror And Extremism - Where Ordinary Men And Women Are Free To Determine Their Own Destiny, The Voices Of Moderation Are Empowered, And The Extremists Are Marginalized By The Peaceful Majority. President Bush believes this more hopeful world can be ours if we seek it and work together. At the start of the 21st century, it is clear that the world is engaged in a great ideological struggle between extremists who use terror as a weapon to create fear, and moderate people everywhere who are working for peace.

We Are Seeing A Bright Future Begin To Take Root In The Broader Middle East. The principles animating this future can be found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' statement that the "equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." In the nearly six decades since that document was approved, we have seen the forces of freedom and moderation transform entire continents.

Some Have Argued That These Democratic Changes Are Destabilizing The Middle East - But The Stability We Thought We Saw In The Middle East Was A Mirage. For decades, millions of men and women in this region have been trapped in oppression and hopelessness. These conditions left a generation disillusioned and made the region a breeding ground for extremism.

Every Civilized Nation - Including Those In The Muslim World - Must Support Those In The Region Who Are Offering A More Hopeful Alternative. We must seek true stability through a free and just Middle East where the extremists are marginalized by millions of citizens in control of their own destinies.

The President Spoke Directly To People Across The Broader Middle East: America Desires Peace

The World Must Stand Up For Peace In The Holy Land

By Supporting The Forces Of Democracy And Moderation, The World Can Help Israelis And Palestinians Build A More Hopeful Future And Achieve Peace In The Holy Land.

Freedom, By Its Nature, Cannot Be Imposed - It Must Be Chosen

The World Must Choose Between Supporting The Moderates And Reformers Working For Change Across The Middle East - Or Yielding The Future To The Terrorists And Extremists. America has made its choice: we will stand with the moderates and reformers. Together we will support the dreams of good and decent people who are working to transform a troubled region - and by doing so, we will advance the high ideals on which the UN was founded.

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