1 00:00:07,014 --> 00:00:11,912 Tonight, I'd like to update the American people on the international effort 2 00:00:11,912 --> 00:00:21,037 that we have led in Libya. What we have done, what we plan to do, and why this matters to us. 3 00:00:21,037 --> 00:00:29,655 I want to begin by paying tribute to our men and women in uniform who once again have acted with courage, 4 00:00:29,655 --> 00:00:38,014 professionalism, and patriotism. They have moved with incredible speed and strength. 5 00:00:38,014 --> 00:00:45,112 Because of them, and our dedicated diplomats, a coalition has been forged and countless lives have been 6 00:00:45,112 --> 00:00:55,879 saved. Meanwhile, as we speak, our troops our supporting our ally Japan, leaving Iraq to its people, 7 00:00:55,879 --> 00:01:03,948 stopping the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan, and going after al-Qaeda all across the globe. 8 00:01:03,948 --> 00:01:12,520 As Commander in Chief I am grateful to our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, Coast Guardsmen and 9 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:19,865 to their families, and I know all Americans share in that sentiment. 10 00:01:19,865 --> 00:01:28,400 For generations, the United States of America has played a unique role as an anchor of global security 11 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:35,202 and as advocate for human freedom. Mindful of the risks and costs of military action 12 00:01:35,202 --> 00:01:41,998 we are naturally reluctant to use force to solve the world's many challenges. 13 00:01:41,998 --> 00:01:50,104 But when our interests and values are at stake, we have a responsibility to act. 14 00:01:50,104 --> 00:01:55,850 That's what happened in Libya over the course of these last six weeks. 15 00:01:55,850 --> 00:02:04,294 Libya sits directly between Tunisia and Egypt: two nations that inspired the world when their people 16 00:02:04,294 --> 00:02:10,821 rose up to take control of their own destiny. For more than four decades 17 00:02:10,821 --> 00:02:16,836 the Libyan people have been ruled by a tyrant, Muamar Ghadaffi. 18 00:02:16,836 --> 00:02:24,010 He has denied his people freedom, exploited their wealth, murdered opponents at home and abroad, 19 00:02:24,010 --> 00:02:29,513 and terrorized innocent people around the world, including Americans who were killed 20 00:02:29,513 --> 00:02:35,970 by Libyan agents. Last month Ghadaffi's grip of fear appeared to give way 21 00:02:35,970 --> 00:02:51,089 to the promise of freedom. In cities and towns across the country Libyans took to the streets 22 00:02:51,089 --> 00:02:53,033 to claim their basic human rights. As one Libyan said, 23 00:02:53,033 --> 00:02:57,540 "For the first time we finally have hope that our nightmare of forty years will soon be over." 24 00:02:57,540 --> 00:03:03,293 Faced with this opposition, Ghadaffi began attacking his people. As President, my immediate 25 00:03:03,293 --> 00:03:08,152 concern was the safety of our citizens, so we evacuated our embassy and 26 00:03:08,152 --> 00:03:14,351 all Americans who sought our assistance. When we took a series of swift 27 00:03:14,351 --> 00:03:24,201 steps in a matter of days to answer Ghadaffi's aggression, we froze more than 33 billion dollars 28 00:03:24,201 --> 00:03:30,489 of Ghadaffi's regime's assets. Joining with other nations of the United Nations Security Council 29 00:03:30,489 --> 00:03:35,249 we broadened our sanctions, imposed an arms embargo, 30 00:03:35,249 --> 00:03:41,588 and enabled Ghadaffi and those around him to be held accountable for their crimes. 31 00:03:41,588 --> 00:03:48,206 I made it clear that Ghadaffi had lost the confidence of his people and the legitimacy to lead, and 32 00:03:48,206 --> 00:03:57,018 I said that he needed to step down from power. In the face of the world's condemnation, Ghadaffi chose 33 00:03:57,018 --> 00:04:04,109 to escalate his attacks, launching a military campaign against the Libyan people. 34 00:04:04,109 --> 00:04:11,081 Innocent people were targeted for killing; hospitals and amublances were attacked. 35 00:04:11,081 --> 00:04:17,799 Journalists were arrested, sexually assaulted, and killed. Supplies of food and fuel 36 00:04:17,799 --> 00:04:26,310 were choked off. Water for hundreds of thousands of people in Misrata was shut off. 37 00:04:26,310 --> 00:04:33,672 Cities and towns were shelled, mosques were destroyed, and apartment buildings reduced to rubble. 38 00:04:33,672 --> 00:04:38,430 Military jets and helicopters, gunships were all unleashed on people 39 00:04:38,430 --> 00:04:44,320 who had no means to defend themselves against attacks from the air. 40 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:50,017 Confronted by this brutal repression, and a looming humanitarian crisis, 41 00:04:50,017 --> 00:04:53,693 I ordered worships in the Mediterranean. 42 00:04:53,693 --> 00:04:58,890 European allies declared their willingness to commit resources to stop the killing. 43 00:04:58,890 --> 00:05:06,573 The Libyan opposition and the Arab League appealed to the world to save lives in Libya. 44 00:05:06,573 --> 00:05:12,657 And so at my direction, America led an effort, with our allies at the United Nations Security Council, 45 00:05:12,657 --> 00:05:17,347 to pass a historic resolution that authorized a no-fly zone to stop 46 00:05:17,347 --> 00:05:22,833 the regime's attacks from the air and further authorized all necessary measures 47 00:05:22,833 --> 00:05:27,378 to protect the Libyan people. 48 00:05:27,378 --> 00:05:33,230 Ten days ago, having tried to end the violence without using force, 49 00:05:33,230 --> 00:05:37,316 the international community offered Ghadaffi a final chance to stop 50 00:05:37,316 --> 00:05:42,889 his campaign of killing or face the consequences. 51 00:05:42,889 --> 00:05:50,030 Rather than stand down, his forces continued their advance, bearing down on the city of Benghazi. 52 00:05:50,030 --> 00:05:59,157 Home to nearly 700,000 men, women, and children who sought their freedom from fear. 53 00:05:59,157 --> 00:06:04,312 At this point, the United States and the world faced a choice. 54 00:06:04,312 --> 00:06:11,426 Ghadaffi declared he would show no mercy to his own people. 55 00:06:11,426 --> 00:06:16,516 He compared them to rats and threatened to go door to door to inflict punishment. 56 00:06:16,516 --> 00:06:21,574 In the past we had seen him hang civilians in the streets and kill over a thousand 57 00:06:21,574 --> 00:06:24,917 people in a single day. 58 00:06:24,917 --> 00:06:31,086 Now we saw on regime forces on the outskirts of the city. 59 00:06:31,086 --> 00:06:39,105 We knew that if we wanted -- if we waited one more day, Benghazi, a city nearly 60 00:06:39,105 --> 00:06:47,092 the size of Charlotte, could have suffered a massacre that would have reverberated 61 00:06:47,092 --> 00:06:50,262 across the region and stained the conscience of the world. 62 00:06:50,262 --> 00:06:55,283 It was not in our national interests to let that happen. 63 00:06:55,283 --> 00:06:59,167 I refused to let that happen. 64 00:06:59,167 --> 00:07:04,494 And so nine days ago, after consulting the bipartisan leadership of Congress, 65 00:07:04,494 --> 00:07:13,261 I authorized military action to stop the killing and enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973. 66 00:07:13,261 --> 00:07:19,577 We struck regime forces approaching Benghazi to save that city and the people within it. 67 00:07:19,577 --> 00:07:28,331 We hit Ghadaffi's troops in nearby Adjabiya, allowing the opposition to drive them out. 68 00:07:28,331 --> 00:07:32,394 We hit Ghadaffi's air defences, which paved the way for a no-fly zone. 69 00:07:32,394 --> 00:07:36,481 We targeted tanks and military assets that had been choking off towns and cities, 70 00:07:36,481 --> 00:07:41,520 and we cut off much of their source of supply. 71 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:47,275 And tonight, I can report that we have stopped Ghadaffi's deadly advance. 72 00:07:47,275 --> 00:07:52,085 In this effort, the United States has not acted alone. 73 00:07:52,085 --> 00:07:57,324 Instead, we have been joined by a strong and growing coalition. 74 00:07:57,324 --> 00:08:04,380 This includes our closest allies, nations like: the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Denmark, 75 00:08:04,380 --> 00:08:15,401 Norway, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Turkey. All of whom have fought by our sides for decades. 76 00:08:15,401 --> 00:08:21,063 And it includes Arab partners like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, 77 00:08:21,063 --> 00:08:27,816 who have chosen to meet their responsibilities to defend the Libyan people. 78 00:08:27,816 --> 00:08:34,392 To summarize them, in just one month the United States has worked with our international partners 79 00:08:34,392 --> 00:08:41,451 to mobilize a broad coalition, secure an international mandate to protect civilians, 80 00:08:41,451 --> 00:08:48,718 stop an advancing army, prevent a massacre, and establish a no-fly zone with our allies 81 00:08:48,718 --> 00:08:51,217 and partners. 82 00:08:51,217 --> 00:08:56,845 To lend some perspective on how rapidly this military and diplomatic response came together, 83 00:08:56,845 --> 00:09:03,717 when people were being brutalized in Bosnia in the 1990s, it took the international community 84 00:09:03,717 --> 00:09:09,338 more than a year to intervene with airpower to protect civilians. 85 00:09:09,338 --> 00:09:13,308 It took us thirty-one days. 86 00:09:13,308 --> 00:09:17,569 Moreover, we've accomplished these objectives consistent with the pledge that I made 87 00:09:17,569 --> 00:09:22,736 to the American people at the outset of our military operations. 88 00:09:22,736 --> 00:09:29,224 I said that America's role would be limited and that we would not put ground troops into Libya. 89 00:09:29,224 --> 00:09:34,210 That we would focus our unique capabilities on the front end of the operation and that we would 90 00:09:34,210 --> 00:09:42,542 transfer responsibility to our allies and partners. Tonight we are fulfilling that pledge. 91 00:09:42,542 --> 00:09:49,793 Our most effective alliance, NATO, has taken command of the enforcement of the arms embargo 92 00:09:49,793 --> 00:09:51,087 and the no-fly zone. 93 00:09:51,087 --> 00:09:55,638 Last night, NATO decided to take on the additional responsibility of protecting 94 00:09:55,638 --> 00:10:04,392 Libyan civilians. This transfer from the United States to NATO will take place on Wednesday. 95 00:10:04,392 --> 00:10:12,046 Going forward, the lead in enforcing the no-fly zone and protecting civilians on the ground 96 00:10:12,046 --> 00:10:14,539 will transition to our allies and partners, 97 00:10:14,539 --> 00:10:19,652 and I am fully confident that our coalition will keep the pressure on Ghadaffi's remaining forces. 98 00:10:19,652 --> 00:10:25,267 In that effort, the United States will play a supporting role including intelligence, 99 00:10:25,267 --> 00:10:33,630 logistical support, search and rescue assistance, and capabitilies to jam regime communications. 100 00:10:33,630 --> 00:10:39,988 Because of this transition to a broader, NATO-based coalition, the risk and costs 101 00:10:39,988 --> 00:10:49,595 of this operation to our military and to American taxpayers will be reduced significantly. 102 00:10:49,595 --> 00:10:55,267 So for those who doubted our capacity to carry out this operation, I want to be clear: 103 00:10:55,267 --> 00:11:01,885 the United States of America has done what we said we would do. 104 00:11:01,885 --> 00:11:07,926 That's not to say that our work is complete. In addition to our NATO responsibilities, 105 00:11:07,926 --> 00:11:13,100 we will work with the international community to provide assistance to the people of Libya: 106 00:11:13,100 --> 00:11:18,394 to provide food to the hungry and medical care for the wounded. 107 00:11:18,394 --> 00:11:24,222 We will safeguard the more than 33 Billion dollars that was frozen from the Ghadaffi regime 108 00:11:24,222 --> 00:11:30,213 so that it's available to rebuild Libya. Afterall, the money doesn't belong to Ghadaffi or to us. 109 00:11:30,213 --> 00:11:36,559 It belongs to the Libyan people, and we'll make sure they receive it. 110 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:40,848 Tomorrow Secretary Clinton will go to London, where she will meet with the Libyan opposition and 111 00:11:40,848 --> 00:11:45,004 consult with more than thirty nations. 112 00:11:45,004 --> 00:11:48,467 These discussions will focus on what kind of political effort is necessary to 113 00:11:48,467 --> 00:11:56,235 pressure Ghadaffi while also supporting a transition to the future that the Libyan people deserve. 114 00:11:56,235 --> 00:12:01,390 Because while our military position is narrowly focused on saving lives, 115 00:12:01,390 --> 00:12:07,136 we can continue to pursue a broader goal of a Libya that belongs not to a dictator 116 00:12:07,136 --> 00:12:11,150 but to its people. 117 00:12:11,150 --> 00:12:17,001 Now, despite the success of our efforts over the past week, I know that some Americans 118 00:12:17,001 --> 00:12:20,270 continue to have questions about our efforts in Libya. 119 00:12:20,270 --> 00:12:28,077 Ghadaffi has not yet stepped down from power and until he does Libya will remain dangerous. 120 00:12:28,077 --> 00:12:34,037 Moreover, even after Ghadaffi does leave power, forty years of tyranny has left Libya 121 00:12:34,037 --> 00:12:38,347 fractured and without strong civil institutions. 122 00:12:38,347 --> 00:12:42,565 The transition to a legitimate government that is responsive to the Libyan people 123 00:12:42,565 --> 00:12:49,904 will be a difficult task, and while the United States will do our part to help, it will be a task 124 00:12:49,904 --> 00:12:58,276 for the international community, and more importantly a task for the Libyan people themselves. 125 00:12:58,276 --> 00:13:05,713 In fact, much of the debate in Washington has put forward a false choice when it comes to Libya. 126 00:13:05,713 --> 00:13:11,940 On the one hand, some question why America should intervene at all, even in limited ways 127 00:13:11,940 --> 00:13:14,494 in this distant land. 128 00:13:14,494 --> 00:13:17,327 They argue that there are many places in the world where innocent civilans 129 00:13:17,327 --> 00:13:23,452 face brutal violence at the hands of their government and America should not be expected 130 00:13:23,452 --> 00:13:30,701 to police the world, particularly when we have so many pressing needs here at home. 131 00:13:30,701 --> 00:13:37,389 It's true that America can not use our military wherever oppression occurs. 132 00:13:37,389 --> 00:13:43,466 And given the costs and risks of intervention, we must always measure our interests against the 133 00:13:43,466 --> 00:13:52,923 need for action, but that can not be an argument for never acting on behalf of what's right. 134 00:13:52,923 --> 00:13:59,557 In this particular country -- Libya -- at this particular moment, we were faced with the 135 00:13:59,557 --> 00:14:04,501 prospect of violence on a horrific scale. 136 00:14:04,501 --> 00:14:10,617 We had a unique ability to stop that violence: an international mandate for action, 137 00:14:10,617 --> 00:14:18,674 a broad coalition prepared to join us, the support of Arab countries, and a plea for help 138 00:14:18,674 --> 00:14:22,197 from the Libyan people themselves. 139 00:14:22,197 --> 00:14:27,345 We also had the ability to stop Ghadaffi's forces in their tracks without putting American 140 00:14:27,345 --> 00:14:31,021 troops on the ground. 141 00:14:31,021 --> 00:14:37,486 To brush aside America's responsibility as a leader, and more profoundly our responsiblities 142 00:14:37,486 --> 00:14:42,380 to fellow human beings under such circumstances, would have been a betrayal 143 00:14:42,380 --> 00:14:45,725 of who we are. 144 00:14:45,725 --> 00:14:51,786 Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. 145 00:14:51,786 --> 00:14:56,620 The United States of America is different, and as President I refuse to wait for the images of 146 00:14:56,620 --> 00:15:04,371 slaughter and mass graves before taking action. 147 00:15:04,371 --> 00:15:09,572 Moreover, America has a strategic interest in preventing Ghadaffi from overruning those 148 00:15:09,572 --> 00:15:12,405 who oppose him. 149 00:15:12,405 --> 00:15:18,280 A massacre would have driven thousands of additional refugee -- refugees across Libya's borders, 150 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:25,887 putting enormous strains on the peaceful yet fragile transitions in Egypt and Tunisia. 151 00:15:25,887 --> 00:15:31,034 The democratic impulses that are dawning across the region would be eclipsed by the darkest 152 00:15:31,034 --> 00:15:40,077 form of dictatorship as repressive leaders concluded that violence is the best strategy to cling to power. 153 00:15:40,077 --> 00:15:44,866 The writ of the United Nations Security Council would have been shown to be little more 154 00:15:44,866 --> 00:15:53,713 than empty words, crippling that institution's future credibility to uphold global peace and security. 155 00:15:53,713 --> 00:16:01,236 So while I will never minimize the costs involved in miltiary action, I am convinced that a failure 156 00:16:01,236 --> 00:16:08,372 to act in Libya would have carried a far greater price for America. 157 00:16:08,372 --> 00:16:14,618 Now, just as there are those who have argued against intervention in Libya, there are others 158 00:16:14,618 --> 00:16:21,168 who've suggested we broaden our military mission beyond the task of protecting the Libyan people 159 00:16:21,168 --> 00:16:28,386 and do whatever it takes to bring down Ghadaffi and usher in a new government. 160 00:16:28,386 --> 00:16:32,358 Of course, there is no question that Libya and the world would be 161 00:16:32,358 --> 00:16:36,229 better off with Ghadaffi out of power. 162 00:16:36,229 --> 00:16:41,062 I, along with many other world leaders, have embraced that goal and will actively 163 00:16:41,062 --> 00:16:47,514 pursue it through non-military means, but broadening out military mission to include 164 00:16:47,514 --> 00:16:52,019 regime change would be a mistake. 165 00:16:52,019 --> 00:17:01,287 The task I assigned our forces -- to protect the Libyan people from immediate danger and to 166 00:17:01,287 --> 00:17:06,438 establish a no-fly zone -- carries with it a UN mandate and international support. 167 00:17:06,438 --> 00:17:13,079 It's also what the Libyan opposition asked us to do. If we tried to overthrow 168 00:17:13,079 --> 00:17:17,801 Ghadaffi by force, our coalition would splinter. 169 00:17:17,801 --> 00:17:23,296 We'd likely have to put U.S. troops on the ground to accomplish that mission, or risk 170 00:17:23,296 --> 00:17:27,941 killing many civilians from the air. 171 00:17:27,941 --> 00:17:34,395 The dangers faced by our men and women in uniform would be far greater -- so would the costs, 172 00:17:34,395 --> 00:17:40,483 and our share of the responsibility for what comes next. 173 00:17:40,483 --> 00:17:48,800 To be blunt, we went down that road in Iraq. Thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our troops 174 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:53,828 and the determination of our diplomats, we are hopeful about Iraq's future, but regime 175 00:17:53,828 --> 00:18:01,934 change there took eight years, thousands of American and Iraqi lives, and nearly 1 trillion dollars. 176 00:18:01,934 --> 00:18:07,716 That is not something we can afford to repeat in Libya. 177 00:18:07,716 --> 00:18:15,494 As the bulk of our military effort ratchets down, what we can do -- and will do -- is support 178 00:18:15,494 --> 00:18:20,138 the aspirations of the Libyan people. 179 00:18:20,138 --> 00:18:25,920 We have intervened to stop a massacre, and we will work with our allies and partners to 180 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:29,729 maintain the safety of civilians. 181 00:18:29,729 --> 00:18:37,074 We will deny the regime arms, cut off its supplies of cash, assist the opposition, 182 00:18:37,074 --> 00:18:43,074 and work with other nations to hasten the day when Ghadaffi leaves power. 183 00:18:43,074 --> 00:18:49,236 It may not happen overnight, as a badly weakened Ghadaffi tries desparately to 184 00:18:49,236 --> 00:18:55,990 hang on to power, but it should be clear to those around Ghadaffi and to every Libyan that 185 00:18:55,990 --> 00:19:03,975 history is not on Ghadaffi's side, that the time and space we have provided for the Libyan people, 186 00:19:03,975 --> 00:19:11,454 they will be able to determine their own destiny, and that is how it should be. 187 00:19:11,454 --> 00:19:18,756 Let me close by addressing what this action says about the use of America's military power 188 00:19:18,756 --> 00:19:24,759 and America's broader leadership in the world under my presidency. 189 00:19:24,759 --> 00:19:30,866 As Commander in Chief, I have no greater responsbility than keeping this country safe. 190 00:19:30,866 --> 00:19:37,763 And no decision weighs on me more than when to deploy our men and women in uniform. 191 00:19:37,763 --> 00:19:43,383 I have made it clear that I will never hesitate to use our military swiftly, decisively, 192 00:19:43,383 --> 00:19:46,883 and unilaterally when necessary, to defend our people, 193 00:19:46,883 --> 00:19:51,995 our homeland, our allies, and our core interests. 194 00:19:51,995 --> 00:19:58,080 That's why we're going after al-Qaeda wherever they seek a foothold; that's why we continue to 195 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:04,960 fight in Afghanistan, even as we have ended our combat mission in Iraq and removed more than 196 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,808 100,000 troops from that country. 197 00:20:08,808 --> 00:20:14,079 There will be times, though, when our safety is not directly threatened 198 00:20:14,079 --> 00:20:19,108 but our interests and our values are. 199 00:20:19,108 --> 00:20:22,368 Sometimes the course of history poses challenges that threaten 200 00:20:22,368 --> 00:20:26,501 our common humanity and our common security. 201 00:20:26,501 --> 00:20:33,636 Responding to natural disasters, for example. Or preventing genocide, and keeping the peace. 202 00:20:33,636 --> 00:20:38,960 Ensuring regional security and maintaining the flow of commerce. 203 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:45,425 These may not be America's problems alone, but they are important to us. 204 00:20:45,425 --> 00:20:48,142 They're problems we're solving. 205 00:20:48,142 --> 00:20:53,367 And in these circumstances we know that the United States, as the world's most powerful nation, 206 00:20:53,367 --> 00:20:58,516 will often be called upon to help. 207 00:20:58,516 --> 00:21:04,677 In such cases, we should not be afraid to act, but the burden of action should not 208 00:21:04,677 --> 00:21:09,226 be America's alone. 209 00:21:09,226 --> 00:21:17,051 As we have in Libya, our task is instead to mobilize the international community for collective action. 210 00:21:17,051 --> 00:21:21,950 Because contrary to the claims of some, American leadership is not simply a matter 211 00:21:21,950 --> 00:21:26,895 of going it alone and bearing all of the burden ourselves. 212 00:21:26,895 --> 00:21:33,733 Real leadership creates the conditions and coalitions for others to step up as well, 213 00:21:33,733 --> 00:21:37,621 to work with allies and partners so that they bear their share of the burden and 214 00:21:37,621 --> 00:21:42,437 they pay their share of the costs. 215 00:21:42,437 --> 00:21:48,491 And to see that the principles of justice and human dignity are upheld by all. 216 00:21:48,491 --> 00:21:52,613 That's the kind of leadership we've shown in Libya. 217 00:21:52,613 --> 00:22:01,191 Of course, even when we act as part of a coalition, the risks of any miltiary action will be high. 218 00:22:01,191 --> 00:22:07,648 Those risks were realzied when one of our planes malfunctioned over Libya. 219 00:22:07,648 --> 00:22:14,265 Yet when one of our airment parachuted to the ground in a country whose leader has so often 220 00:22:14,265 --> 00:22:19,852 demonized the United States, in a region that has such a difficult history with our country, 221 00:22:19,852 --> 00:22:27,711 this American did not find enemies; instead he was met by people who embraced him. 222 00:22:27,711 --> 00:22:30,711 One young Libyan who came to his aid said, 223 00:22:30,711 --> 00:22:40,887 "We are your friends. We are so grateful to those men who are protecting the skies." 224 00:22:40,887 --> 00:22:46,169 This voice is just one of many in a region where a new generation is refusing to be denied 225 00:22:46,169 --> 00:22:51,487 their rights and opportunities any longer. 226 00:22:51,487 --> 00:22:59,007 Yes, this change will make the world more complicated for a time; progress will be uneven. 227 00:22:59,007 --> 00:23:04,028 And change will come differently to different countries. 228 00:23:04,028 --> 00:23:10,736 There are places like Egypt where this change will inspire us and raise our hopes. 229 00:23:10,736 --> 00:23:17,841 And then there will be places like Iran where change is fiercely suppressed. 230 00:23:17,841 --> 00:23:23,922 The dark forces of civil conflict and sectarian war will have to be averted and difficult 231 00:23:23,922 --> 00:23:30,894 political and economic concerns will have to be addressed. 232 00:23:30,894 --> 00:23:37,021 The United States will not be able to dictate the pace and scope of this change, only the 233 00:23:37,021 --> 00:23:41,281 people of the region can do that. 234 00:23:41,281 --> 00:23:45,589 But we can make a difference. 235 00:23:45,589 --> 00:23:51,441 I believe that this movement of change cannot be turned back, and that we must stand alongside 236 00:23:51,441 --> 00:23:57,626 those who believe in the same core principles that have guided us through many storms. 237 00:23:57,626 --> 00:24:01,936 Our opposition to violence directed at one's own's people. 238 00:24:01,936 --> 00:24:09,407 Our support for a set of universal rights including the freedom of people to express theirselves 239 00:24:09,407 --> 00:24:12,238 and choose their leaders. 240 00:24:12,238 --> 00:24:20,470 Our support for governments that are ultimately responsive to the aspirations of the people. 241 00:24:20,470 --> 00:24:29,850 Born as we are, out of a revolution by those who longed to be free, we welcome the fact that 242 00:24:29,850 --> 00:24:34,998 history is on the move in the Middle East and North Africa, and that young people are 243 00:24:34,998 --> 00:24:37,602 leading the way. 244 00:24:37,602 --> 00:24:45,900 Because wherever people long to be free, they will find a friend in the United States. 245 00:24:45,900 --> 00:24:58,949 Ultimately, it is that faith, those ideals that are the true measure of American leadership. 246 00:24:58,949 --> 00:25:06,167 My fellow Americans, I know that at a time upheaval overseas, when the news is filled 247 00:25:06,167 --> 00:25:13,546 with conflict and change, it can be tempting to turn away from the world. 248 00:25:13,546 --> 00:25:20,322 And as I've said before, our strength abroad is anchored in our strength here at home. 249 00:25:20,322 --> 00:25:26,695 That must always be our North Star: the ability of our people to reach their potential, to make 250 00:25:26,695 --> 00:25:32,652 wise choices with our resources, to enlarge the prosperity that serves as a wealth spring for 251 00:25:32,652 --> 00:25:39,533 our power, and to live the values that we hold so dear. 252 00:25:39,533 --> 00:25:45,279 But let us also remember that for generations we have done the hard work of protecting our 253 00:25:45,279 --> 00:25:50,265 own people as well as millions around the globe. 254 00:25:50,265 --> 00:25:54,821 We have done so because we know that our own future is safer, 255 00:25:54,821 --> 00:26:03,167 our own future is brighter, if more of mankind can live with the bright light of freedom and dignity. 256 00:26:03,167 --> 00:26:10,017 Tonight, let us give thanks for the Americans who are serving through these trying times and the 257 00:26:10,017 --> 00:26:16,743 coalition that is carrying our effort forward. And let us look to the future with confidence and hope, 258 00:26:16,743 --> 00:26:23,792 not only for our own country but for all those yearning for freedom around the world. 259 00:26:23,792 --> 99:59:59,999 Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America. Thank you.