Bush at UN: Respect for political freedom makes nations better neighbors
Friday, September 26, 2008 Free Headline Alerts
By John Metzler
UNITED NATIONS — “Advancing the vision of freedom serves our highest ideals…advancing this vision also serves our security interests, ” President George W. Bush told assembled delegates at the UN.
In his last address as President before the UN, Bush advised, “History shows that when citizens have a voice in choosing their own leaders, they are less likely to search for meaning in radical ideologies…and when governments respect the rights of their people, they’re more likely to respect the rights of their neighbors.”
“Instead of treating all forms of government as equally tolerable, we must actively challenge the conditions of tyranny and despair that allow terror and extremism to thrive.”
Confronting a central argument about whether people really do desire freedoms, Bush stressed, “The nations of this body must challenge tyranny as vigorously as we challenge terror…Some question where people in certain parts of the world actually desire freedom. This self-serving condescension has been disproved before our eyes.” He recalled, “From the voting booths of Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine and the Rose Revolution in Georgia, we have seen people consistently make the courageous decision to demand their liberty.” This was classic George W, but certainly on the political mark and one hopes a hallmark of the future American Administration.
But many challenges to democracy abound; terrorism, military invasion, nuclear proliferation. Russia’s recent dismemberment of Georgia along ethnic lines, poses a clear threat to regional stability. Georgia’s embattled President Mikheil Saakashvili told delegates, “Georgia was attacked because it is a successful democracy in our part of the world…our response today is to make our democracy even more robust, we will in short fight the specter of aggression and authoritarianism with the most potent weapon in our arsenal, namely our commitment to ever-expanding freedoms within our borders.”
Still there is a far more looming threat than traditional conventional military invasion; nuclear proliferation. Regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s efforts at developing nuclear weapons, French President Nicolas Sarkozy speaking for the entire European Union stated, “Europe is saying to Iran that it respects that country, that Iran has the right to nuclear energy…but it is saying to Iran with the same sincerity that it cannot accept an nuclear-armed Iran which would endanger the peace and stability of an entire region, nor can it tolerate an Iran calling for the destruction of the State of Israel.”
Later briefing correspondents, Sarkozy was asked why, as President of the European Union, he did not take the opportunity to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Sarkozy said it was “difficult for him to take the hand of a man who said that “we have to wipe out Israel” a statement which he called “unacceptable.” He added Iran was entitled to peace, but for Iran having nuclear weapons for military use, “presented a huge risk to peace throughout the world.”
Sarkozy warned however, that the international community was giving the impression that it was no longer interested in what he thought was the most serious potential crisis.. he added, “that the world would wake up one day with a further crisis on its hands.” He stressed “Iran was playing with the world regarding the question of good nuclear power, and that part of the Iranian leadership was relying on the inactivity of the international community.” Tehran continues to play for time, especially to wait out the lame-duck Bush Administration and to hope for a Jimmy Carter-style Administration in Washington.
In separate comments, Iran’s President Ahmadinejad assumed a most Orwellian stance claiming his country’s peaceful nuclear activities and stating “Iran was the most peaceful and peace-loving state in the Middle East with a long history of non-aggression.” Saying that with a straight face could win him an Oscar!
Israel’s President Shimon Peres was not so sanguine, “ Iran continues to develop enriched uranium and long range missiles. the Iranian people are not our enemies, Their fanatic leadership is their problem and world world’s concern.” Perez added less than cryptically, “Israel has shown that democracies can defend themselves. We do not intend to change.” Iran’s atomic Ayatollahs are forewarned.