2003 State of the Union Address

U.S. President George W. Bush delivers the 2003 address to a joint session of Congress.

The 2003 State of the Union Address was a speech delivered by U.S. President George W. Bush, the 43rd United States President, on Tuesday, January 28, 2003. It outlined justifications for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It began his discussion of the "war on terror" by asserting, as he had before September 11, 2001, that "the gravest danger facing America and the world, is outlaw regimes that seek and possess nuclear, chemical and biological weapons." Of such regimes, that of Saddam Hussein was the worst, and "a brutal dictator, with a history of reckless aggression, with ties to terrorism, with great potential wealth, will not be permitted to dominate a vital region and threaten the United States." In this context, Bush also said, "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa,"^[1] a line which became a source of contention in the later Plame affair. The domestic brutality of Hussein and the benefits of liberty and freedom for the Iraqi people were briefly noted near the end of the speech. He began with, "In all these days of promise and days of reckoning, we can be confident. In a whirlwind of change and hope and peril, our faith is sure, our resolve is firm, and our union is strong." In the middle of the speech, he said, "In Afghanistan, we helped liberate an oppressed people. And we will continue helping them secure their country, rebuild their society, and educate all their children — boys and girls." He ended with, "Americans are a free people, who know that freedom is the right of every person and the future of every nation. The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world, it is God's gift to humanity." ^[2] He spoke to the 108th United States Congress.

Just before the President addressed Iraq in the speech, he spent five paragraphs addressing his initiative to fight AIDS in Africa.^[3]

The Democratic response was given by then Washington Governor Gary Locke, who was appointed to be United States Ambassador to China in 2011.

See also

• State of the Union
• George W. Bush
• President of the United States
• "16 words" – a controversial phrase in George W. Bush's 2003 State of the Union Address

References

External links

• Entire 2003 State of the Union address (video) at C-SPAN

Works related to George W. Bush's Third State of the Union Address at Wikisource

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George W. Bush 43rd President of the United States (2001–2009) 46th Governor of Texas (1995–2000) Born July 6, 1946 Presidency First inauguration Second inauguration First term Second term Domestic policy Legislation and programs Economic policy Foreign policy Bush Doctrine War in Afghanistan Iraq War Status of Forces Agreement No Child Left Behind Act Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act USA Freedom Corps Department of Homeland Security Space policy Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty "War on Terror" President's Council on Service and Civic Participation award Judicial appointments Supreme Court controversies Cabinet Pardons Impeachment efforts Life Presidential library Early life Military service controversy (Killian documents controversy and authenticity issues) Professional life Governorship of Texas Prairie Chapel Ranch Bush compound Clinton Bush Haiti Fund Speeches Axis of evil Mission Accomplished State of the Union address 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Elections United States House of Representatives elections, 1978 Texas gubernatorial election 1994 1998 Presidential campaign 2000 2004 Republican Party presidential primaries, 2000 2004 Republican National Convention 2000 2004 United States presidential election, 2000 Bush v. Gore United States presidential election, 2004 Public image Bushisms Nicknames As the subject of books and films Fictionalized portrayals Miss Me Yet? Books A Charge to Keep (1999) Decision Points (2010) 41: A Portrait of My Father (2014) Family Laura Bush (wife) Barbara Pierce Bush (daughter) Jenna Bush Hager (daughter) George H.W. Bush (father presidency) Barbara Bush (mother) Jeb Bush (brother) Neil Bush (brother) Marvin P. Bush (brother) Dorothy Bush Koch (sister) Prescott Bush (paternal grandfather) Dorothy Walker Bush (paternal grandmother) George P. Bush (nephew) Barney (dog) Miss Beazley (dog) India (cat) Spot Fetcher (dog) ← Bill Clinton Barack Obama → Book Category