Bush Speech

Glenn Reynolds has the full text up.

If we were to be driven out of Iraq, extremists of all strains would be emboldened. Al Qaeda could gain new recruits and new sanctuaries. Iran would benefit from the chaos and would be encouraged in its efforts to gain nuclear weapons and dominate the region. Extremists could control a key part of the global energy supply. Iraq could face a humanitarian nightmare. Democracy movements would be violently reversed. We would leave our children to face a far more dangerous world. And as we saw on September the 11th, 2001, those dangers can reach our cities and kill our people.

Whatever political party you belong to, whatever your position on Iraq, we should be able to agree that America has a vital interest in preventing chaos and providing hope in the Middle East. We should be able to agree that we must defeat al Qaeda, counter Iran, help the Afghan government, work for peace in the Holy Land, and strengthen our military so we can prevail in the struggle against terrorists and extremists.

Iraq is - whether you or I like it or not - America's war. A defeat and withdrawal would be America's defeat. The resulting genocidal bloodbath and chaos would be - rightfully - blamed on America. Not a political party, America. The damage would be to America as a whole. The costs would be paid by Iraqi men, women and children. Advocating the abandonment of them to their fate is, at best, dishonorable.