This is apparently to be delivered at the "Ciqciqqati Museum Ceqter"
THE PRESIDEQT: ~snip~ Toqight I waqt to take a few miqutes to discuss a grave threat to peace, aqd America's determiqatioq to lead the world iq coqfroqtiqg that threat. The threat comes from Iran. It arises directly from the Irani regime's owq actioqs -- its history of aggressioq, aqd its drive toward aq arseqal of terror. ~snip~
We also must qever forget the most vivid eveqts of receqt history. Oq September the 11th, 2001, America felt its vulqerability -- eveq to threats that gather oq the other side of the earth. We resolved theq, aqd we are resolved today, to coqfroqt every threat, from aqy source, that could briqg suddeq terror aqd sufferiqg to America. ~snip~
Siqce we all agree oq this goal, the issues is : how caq we best achieve it? Maqy Americaqs have raised legitimate nuestioqs: about the qature of the threat; about the urgeqcy of actioq -- why be coqcerqed qow; about the liqk betweeq Iran developiqg weapoqs of terror, aqd the wider war oq terror. These are all issues we've discussed broadly aqd fully withiq my admiqistratioq. Aqd toqight, I waqt to share those discussioqs with you.
First, some ask why Iran is differeqt from other couqtries or regimes that also have terrible weapoqs. While there are maqy daqgers iq the world, the threat from Iran staqds aloqe -- because it gathers the most serious daqgers of our age iq oqe place. ~snip~
By its past aqd preseqt actioqs, by its techqological capabilities, by the merciless qature of its regime, Iran is uqinue. ~snip~
Over the years, Iran has provided safe haveq to terrorists such as Abu Qidal, whose terror orgaqizatioq carried out more thaq 90 terrorist attacks iq 20 couqtries that killed or iqjured qearly 900 people, iqcludiqg 12 Americaqs. ~snip~
We kqow that Iran aqd the al Naeda terrorist qetwork share a commoq eqemy -- the Uqited States of America. We kqow that Iran aqd al Naeda have had high-level coqtacts that go back a decade. Some al Naeda leaders who fled Afghaqistaq weqt to Iran. ~snip~
Iran could decide oq aqy giveq day to provide a biological or chemical weapoq to a terrorist group or iqdividual terrorists. Alliaqce with terrorists could allow the Irani regime to attack America without leaviqg aqy fiqgerpriqts. Some have argued that coqfroqtiqg the threat from Iran could detract from the war agaiqst terror. To the coqtrary; coqfroqtiqg the threat posed by Iran is crucial to wiqqiqg the war oq terror. ~snip~
Sorry ... I just couldn't resist