Bush Addresses The UN

President Bush spoke to the UN today. The Washington Post has a transcript of the full address. It is frankly very well done. I'd recommend reading the whole thing. A couple of things that stood out for me:

Some have argued that the democratic changes we're seeing in the Middle East are destabilizing the region.

BUSH: This argument rests on a false assumption: that the Middle East was stable to begin with.

The reality is that the stability we thought we saw in the Middle East was a mirage.

For decades, millions of men and women in the region had been trapped in oppression and hopelessness. And these conditions left a generation disillusioned and made this region a breeding ground for extremism.

Imagine what it's like to be a young person living in a country that is not moving toward reform. You're 21 years old, and while your peers in other parts of the world are casting their ballots for the first time, you are powerless to change the course of your government.

While your peers in other parts of the world have received educations that prepare them for the opportunities of a global economy, you have been fed propaganda and conspiracy theories that blame others for your country's shortcomings.

BUSH: And everywhere you turn, you hear extremists who tell you that you can escape your misery and regain your dignity through violence and terror and martyrdom.

For many across the broader Middle East this is the dismal choice presented every day.

Every civilized nation, including those in the Muslim world, must support those in the region who are offering a more hopeful alternative.

That's a pretty good assessment, I think. The "stability" of the Middle East had more to do with Cold War Realpolitik than with reality. The other thing was a flat call for the UN to do something about Sudan and Darfur:

To the people of Darfur, you have suffered unspeakable violence. And my nation has called these atrocities what they are: genocide.

For the last two years, America joined with the international community to provide emergency food aid and support for an African Union peacekeeping force. Yet your suffering continues.

The world must step forward to provide additional humanitarian aid. And we must strengthen the African Union force that has done good work, but is not strong enough to protect you.

BUSH: The Security Council has approved a resolution that would transform the African Union force into a blue-helmeted force that is larger and more robust. To increase its strength and effectiveness, NATO nations should provide logistics and other support.

The regime in Khartoum is stopping the deployment of this force. If the Sudanese government does not approve this peacekeeping force quickly, the United Nations must act. Your lives and the credibility of the United Nations is at stake.

So today I'm announcing that I'm naming a presidential special envoy, former USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios, to lead America's efforts to resolve the outstanding disputes and help bring peace to your land.

There is quite a lot more. It boils down to a single fact: It is time to choose democracy and moderation or extremism. Bush made it quite clear which side the US is on.

UPDATE: Curt at Flopping Aces loved the speech. Mario Loyola at The Corner notes it was public diplomacy, not a policy speech. Greg Tinti, The Political Pit Bull, liked it as well. A Blog For All was also impressed with the flat out word Bush used about Darfur: genocide. Gateway Pundit was impressed with the point by point addressing of Middle Eastern countries.