"Once again, we will see freedom's victory"

The President gave an address on the War on Terror at National Endowment for Democracy today. I didn't actually see it, but the transcript is here. The link also has video of the speech.

It seems to have been an excellent speech. I wish George W. would have given it as a national primetime address, rather than to a specific group (aka preaching to the choir).

He needs to do more of this and remind people why we are fighting the War on Terror.

Here is an excerpt:

Our nation stood guard on tense borders; we spoke for the rights of dissidents and the hopes of exile; we aided the rise of new democracies on the ruins of tyranny. And all the cost and sacrifice of that struggle has been worth it, because, from Latin America to Europe to Asia, we've gained the peace that freedom brings.

In this new century, freedom is once again assaulted by enemies determined to roll back generations of democratic progress. Once again, we're responding to a global campaign of fear with a global campaign of freedom. And once again, we will see freedom's victory.
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Recently our country observed the fourth anniversary of a great evil, and looked back on a great turning point in our history. We still remember a proud city covered in smoke and ashes, a fire across the Potomac, and passengers who spent their final moments on Earth fighting the enemy. We still remember the men who rejoiced in every death, and Americans in uniform rising to duty. And we remember the calling that came to us on that day, and continues to this hour: We will confront this mortal danger to all humanity. We will not tire, or rest, until the war on terror is won. (Applause.)

The images and experience of September the 11th are unique for Americans. Yet the evil of that morning has reappeared on other days, in other places -- in Mombasa, and Casablanca, and Riyadh, and Jakarta, and Istanbul, and Madrid, and Beslan, and Taba, and Netanya, and Baghdad, and elsewhere. In the past few months, we've seen a new terror offensive with attacks on London, and Sharm el-Sheikh, and a deadly bombing in Bali once again. All these separate images of destruction and suffering that we see on the news can seem like random and isolated acts of madness; innocent men and women and children have died simply because they boarded the wrong train, or worked in the wrong building, or checked into the wrong hotel. Yet while the killers choose their victims indiscriminately, their attacks serve a clear and focused ideology, a set of beliefs and goals that are evil, but not insane.

Really, the whole thing is excellent. He needs to do this more often. When he doesn't, the overwhelmingly negative views of the media and the Liberals and the anti-war wackos (oh, wait, same thing) are what the American people see and hear and believe.

The War on Terror is so very important to our future. We need to have the country united behind the common cause. That won't happen if people are not constantly reminded of the evilness of the enemy and the righteousness of our cause.