President Trump - Presidential Address to the Nation on Afghanistan
President Trump - Presidential Address to the Nation on Afghanistan
Terrorists take heed - America will never let up until you are dealt a lasting defeat.
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The President - Vice President Pence,
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Secretary of State Tillerson,
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members of the Cabinet, General Dunford,
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Deputy Secretary Shanahan,
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and Colonel Duggan.
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Most especially, thank you to the men
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and women of Fort Myer
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and every member of the United States
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military at home and abroad.
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We send our thoughts and prayers
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to the families of our brave sailors
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who were injured and lost
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after a tragic collision at sea,
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as well as to those conducting
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the search and recovery efforts.
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I am here tonight to lay out our path forward
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in Afghanistan and South Asia.
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But before I provide the details
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of our new strategy,
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I want to say a few words
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to the servicemembers here with us tonight,
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to those watching from their posts,
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and to all Americans listening at home.
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Since the founding of our republic,
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our country has produced a special class of heroes
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whose selflessness, courage,
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and resolve is unmatched in human history.
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American patriots from every generation
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have given their last breath on the battlefield
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for our nation
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and for our freedom.
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Through their lives --
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and though their lives were cut short,
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in their deeds they achieved
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total immortality.
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By following the heroic example of those
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who fought to preserve our republic,
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we can find the inspiration
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our country needs to unify, to heal,
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and to remain one nation under God.
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The men and women of our military operate
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as one team,
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with one shared mission,
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and one shared sense of purpose.
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They transcend every line of race,
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ethnicity, creed,
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and color to serve together --
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and sacrifice together --
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in absolutely perfect cohesion.
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That is because all servicemembers
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are brothers and sisters.
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They're all part of the same family;
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it's called the American family.
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They take the same oath, fight for the same flag,
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and live according to the same law.
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They are bound together by common purpose,
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mutual trust,
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and selfless devotion to our nation
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and to each other.
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The soldier understands what we, as a nation,
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too often forget that a wound
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inflicted upon a single member of our community
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is a wound inflicted upon us all.
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When one part of America hurts, we all hurt.
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And when one citizen suffers an injustice,
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we all suffer together.
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Loyalty to our nation demands loyalty
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to one another.
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Love for America
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requires love for all of its people.
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When we open our hearts to patriotism,
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there is no room for prejudice,
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no place for bigotry,
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and no tolerance for hate.
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The young men and women we send to fight our wars abroad
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deserve to return to a country
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that is not at war with itself at home.
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We cannot remain a force for peace in the world
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if we are not at peace with each other.
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As we send our bravest
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to defeat our enemies overseas --
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and we will always win --
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let us find the courage
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to heal our divisions within.
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Let us make a simple promise to the men
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and women we ask to fight in our name that,
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when they return home from battle,
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they will find a country
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that has renewed
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the sacred bonds of love and loyalty
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that unite us together as one.
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Thanks to the vigilance and skill
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of the American military
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and of our many allies throughout the world,
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horrors on the scale of September 11th --
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and nobody can ever forget that --
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have not been repeated on our shores.
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But we must also acknowledge
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the reality I am here to talk about tonight -
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that nearly 16 years after September 11th attacks,
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after the extraordinary sacrifice of blood and treasure,
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the American people are weary of war
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without victory.
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Nowhere is this more evident
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than with the war in Afghanistan,
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the longest war in American history --
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17 years.
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I share the American people s frustration.
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I also share their frustration
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over a foreign policy
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that has spent too much time, energy, money,
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and most importantly lives,
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trying to rebuild countries
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in our own image,
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instead of pursuing our security interests
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above all other considerations.
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That is why, shortly after my inauguration,
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I directed Secretary of Defense Mattis
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and my national security team
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to undertake a comprehensive review
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of all strategic options in Afghanistan
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and South Asia.
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My original instinct was to pull out --
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and, historically, I like following my instincts.
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But all my life I've heard
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that decisions are much different
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when you sit behind the desk in the Oval Office;
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in other words,
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when you're President of the United States.
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So I studied Afghanistan in great detail
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and from every conceivable angle.
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After many meetings, over many months,
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we held our final meeting last Friday
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at Camp David,
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with my Cabinet and generals,
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to complete our strategy.
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I arrived at three fundamental conclusions
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about America s core interests in Afghanistan.
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First, our nation must seek an honorable
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and enduring outcome
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worthy of the tremendous sacrifices
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that have been made,
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especially the sacrifices of lives.
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The men and women who serve our nation
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in combat deserve a plan for victory.
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They deserve the tools they need,
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and the trust they have earned,
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to fight and to win.
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Second, the consequences of a rapid exit
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are both predictable and unacceptable.
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9/11, the worst terrorist attack in our history,
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was planned and directed from Afghanistan
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because that country was ruled by a government
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that gave comfort and shelter to terrorists.
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A hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum
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that terrorists,
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including ISIS and al Qaeda,
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would instantly fill,
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just as happened before September 11th.
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And, as we know, in 2011,
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America hastily
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and mistakenly withdrew from Iraq.
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As a result, our hard-won gains slipped back
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into the hands of terrorist enemies.
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Our soldiers watched as cities
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they had fought for,
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and bled to liberate, and won, were occupied
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by a terrorist group called ISIS.
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The vacuum we created by leaving too soon
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gave safe haven for ISIS to spread,
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to grow, recruit, and launch attacks.
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We cannot repeat in Afghanistan the mistake
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our leaders made in Iraq.
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Third and finally, I concluded
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that the security threats
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we face in Afghanistan
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and the broader region are immense.
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Today, 20 U.S.-designated
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foreign terrorist organizations
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are active in Afghanistan and Pakistan --
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the highest concentration in any region
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anywhere in the world.
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For its part,
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Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos,
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violence, and terror.
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The threat is worse because
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Pakistan and India
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are two nuclear-armed states
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whose tense relations
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threaten to spiral into conflict.
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And that could happen.
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No one denies that we have inherited
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a challenging and troubling situation
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in Afghanistan and South Asia,
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but we do not have the luxury
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of going back in time
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and making different or better decisions.
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When I became President,
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I was given a bad and very complex hand,
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but I fully knew what I was getting into -
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big and intricate problems.
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But, one way or another,
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these problems will be solved --
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I'm a problem solver --
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and, in the end, we will win.
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We must address the reality of the world
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as it exists right now -- the threats we face,
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and the confronting of all of the problems
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of today,
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and extremely predictable consequences
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of a hasty withdrawal.
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We need look no further than last week's vile,
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vicious attack in Barcelona to understand
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that terror groups will stop at nothing to commit
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the mass murder of innocent men,
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women and children.
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You saw it for yourself.
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Horrible.
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As I outlined in my speech
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in Saudi Arabia three months ago,
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America and our partners are committed
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to stripping terrorists of their territory,
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cutting off their funding,
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and exposing the false allure
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of their evil ideology.
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Terrorists who slaughter innocent people
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will find no glory in this life or the next.
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They are nothing but thugs,
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and criminals, and predators,
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and -- that's right -- losers.
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Working alongside our allies,
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we will break their will, dry up their recruitment,
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keep them from crossing our borders,
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and yes, we will defeat them,
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and we will defeat them handily.
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In Afghanistan and Pakistan,
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America's interests are clear -
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We must stop the resurgence of safe havens
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that enable terrorists to threaten America,
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and we must prevent nuclear weapons and materials
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from coming into the hands of terrorists
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and being used against us,
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or anywhere in the world for that matter.
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But to prosecute this war,
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we will learn from history.
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As a result of our comprehensive review,
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American strategy in Afghanistan
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and South Asia
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will change dramatically in the following ways -
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A core pillar of our new strategy
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is a shift from a time-based approach
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to one based on conditions.
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I've said it many times
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how counterproductive it is
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for the United States to announce in advance
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the dates we intend to begin,
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or end, military options.
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We will not talk about numbers of troops
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or our plans for further military activities.
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Conditions on the ground --
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not arbitrary timetables --
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will guide our strategy from now on.
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America's enemies must never know our plans
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or believe they can wait us out.
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I will not say when we are going to attack,
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but attack we will.
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Another fundamental pillar
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of our new strategy
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is the integration of all instruments
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of American power --
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diplomatic, economic, and military --
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toward a successful outcome.
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Someday, after an effective
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military effort,
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perhaps it will be possible
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to have a political settlement
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that includes elements
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of the Taliban in Afghanistan,
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but nobody knows if or when
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that will ever happen.
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America will continue its support
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for the Afghan government
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and the Afghan military
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as they confront the Taliban
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in the field.
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Ultimately, it is up to the people of Afghanistan
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to take ownership of their future,
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to govern their society,
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and to achieve an everlasting peace.
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We are a partner and a friend,
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but we will not dictate to the Afghan people
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how to live,
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or how to govern their own complex society.
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We are not nation-building again.
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We are killing terrorists.
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The next pillar of our new strategy
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is to change the approach
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and how to deal with Pakistan.
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We can no longer be silent about
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Pakistan's safe havens
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for terrorist organizations,
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the Taliban, and other groups
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that pose a threat to the region and beyond.
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Pakistan has much to gain
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from partnering
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with our effort in Afghanistan.
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It has much to lose by continuing
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to harbor criminals and terrorists.
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In the past, Pakistan has been a valued partner.
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Our militaries have worked together
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against common enemies.
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The Pakistani people have suffered greatly
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from terrorism and extremism.
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We recognize those contributions
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and those sacrifices.
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But Pakistan has also sheltered the same
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organizations
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that try every single day to kill our people.
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We have been paying Pakistan billions
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and billions of dollars at the same time
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they are housing the very terrorists
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that we are fighting.
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But that will have to change,
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and that will change immediately.
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No partnership can survive a country's
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harboring of militants
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and terrorists who target
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U.S. servicemembers and officials.
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It is time for Pakistan
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to demonstrate its commitment
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to civilization, order, and to peace.
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Another critical part of the South Asia
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strategy for America
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is to further develop
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its strategic partnership with India --
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the world's largest democracy
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and a key security
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and economic partner of the United States.
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We appreciate India's important contributions
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to stability in Afghanistan,
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but India makes billions of dollars
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in trade with the United States,
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and we want them to help us more with Afghanistan,
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especially in the area
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of economic assistance
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and development.
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We are committed to pursuing
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our shared objectives
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for peace and security in South Asia
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and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
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Finally, my administration
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will ensure that you,
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the brave defenders of the American people,
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will have the necessary tools
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and rules of engagement
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to make this strategy work,
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and work effectively and work quickly.
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I have already lifted restrictions
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the previous administration
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placed on our warfighters
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that prevented the Secretary of Defense
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and our commanders in the field from fully
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and swiftly waging battle against the enemy.
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Micromanagement from Washington, D.C.
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does not win battles.
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They are won in the field drawing upon the judgment
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and expertise of wartime commanders
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and frontline soldiers
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acting in real time, with real authority,
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and with a clear mission to defeat the enemy.
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That's why we will also expand authority
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for American armed forces
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to target the terrorist and criminal networks
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that sow violence
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and chaos throughout Afghanistan.
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These killers need to know
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they have nowhere to hide;
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that no place is beyond the reach of American
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might and Americans arms.
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Retribution will be fast and powerful.
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As we lift restrictions
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and expand authorities in the field,
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we are already seeing dramatic results
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in the campaign to defeat ISIS,
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including the liberation of Mosul in Iraq.
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Since my inauguration,
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we have achieved record-breaking
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success in that regard.
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We will also maximize sanctions
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and other financial and law enforcement actions
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against these networks
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to eliminate their ability to export terror.
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When America commits its warriors to battle,
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we must ensure they have every weapon to apply
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swift, decisive,
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and overwhelming force.
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Our troops will fight to win.
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We will fight to win.
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From now on, victory will have a clear definition -
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attacking our enemies, obliterating ISIS,
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crushing al Qaeda,
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preventing the Taliban
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from taking over Afghanistan,
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and stopping mass terror attacks against America
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before they emerge.
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We will ask our NATO allies
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and global partners
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to support our new strategy
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with additional troop
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and funding increases in line with our own.
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We are confident they will.
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Since taking office, I have made clear
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that our allies and partners
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must contribute much more money
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to our collective defense,
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and they have done so.
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In this struggle,
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the heaviest burden will continue to be borne
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by the good people of Afghanistan
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and their courageous armed forces.
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As the prime minister of Afghanistan has promised,
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we are going to participate
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in economic development
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to help defray the cost of this war to us.
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Afghanistan is fighting to defend
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and secure their country
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against the same enemies who threaten us.
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The stronger the Afghan security forces become,
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the less we will have to do.
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Afghans will secure and build their own nation
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and define their own future.
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We want them to succeed.
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But we will no longer use American military
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might to construct democracies
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in faraway lands,
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or try to rebuild other countries
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in our own image.
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Those days are now over.
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Instead, we will work with allies and partners
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to protect our shared interests.
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We are not asking others
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to change their way of life,
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but to pursue common goals
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that allow our children
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to live better and safer lives.
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This principled realism
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will guide our decisions moving forward.
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Military power alone will not bring peace
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to Afghanistan
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or stop the terrorist threat
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arising in that country.
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But strategically applied force
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aims to create the conditions
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for a political process
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to achieve a lasting peace.
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America will work with the Afghan government
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as long as we see determination
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and progress.
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However, our commitment is not unlimited,
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and our support is not a blank check.
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The government of Afghanistan
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must carry their share
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of the military,
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political, and economic burden.
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The American people expect to see
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real reforms,
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real progress, and real results.
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Our patience is not unlimited.
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We will keep our eyes wide open.
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In abiding by the oath I took on January 20th,
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I will remain steadfast in protecting American lives
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and American interests.
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In this effort, we will make common cause
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with any nation
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that chooses to stand and fight alongside us
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against this global threat.
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Terrorists take heed - America will never let up
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until you are dealt a lasting defeat.
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Under my administration, many billions of dollars
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more is being spent on our military.
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And this includes vast amounts being spent
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on our nuclear arsenal and missile defense.
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In every generation, we have faced down evil,
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and we have always prevailed.
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We prevailed because we know who we are
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and what we are fighting for.
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Not far from where we are gathered tonight,
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hundreds of thousands
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of America's greatest patriots
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lay in eternal rest
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at Arlington National Cemetery.
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There is more courage, sacrifice,
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and love in those hallowed grounds
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than in any other spot on the face of the Earth.
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Many of those who have fought and died
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in Afghanistan enlisted in the months
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after September 11th, 2001.
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They volunteered for a simple reason -
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They loved America,
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and they were determined to protect her.
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Now we must secure the cause
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for which they gave their lives.
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We must unite to defend America
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from its enemies abroad.
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We must restore the bonds of loyalty
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among our citizens at home,
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and we must achieve an honorable
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and enduring outcome
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worthy of the enormous price
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that so many have paid.
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Our actions, and in the months to come,
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all of them will honor
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the sacrifice
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of every fallen hero,
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every family who lost a loved one,
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and every wounded warrior who shed their blood
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in defense of our great nation.
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With our resolve, we will ensure that your service
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and that your families
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will bring about the defeat of our enemies
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and the arrival of peace.
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We will push onward to victory with power
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in our hearts,
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courage in our souls,
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and everlasting pride in each
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and every one of you.
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Thank you. May God bless our military.
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And may God bless the United States of America.
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Thank you very much, thank you.
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