美国总统老布什宣布海湾战争开始

时间:2022-03-17 10:16:00

美国总统老布什宣布海湾战争开始

名人演讲稿

PresidentGeorgeBush:

Just2hoursago,alliedairforcesbegananattackonmilitarytargetsinIraqandKuwait.TheseattackscontinueasIspeak.Groundforcesarenotengaged.

ThisconflictstartedAugust2ndwhenthedictatorofIraqinvadedasmallandhelplessneighbor.Kuwait--amemberoftheArabLeagueandamemberoftheUnitedNations--wascrushed;itspeople,brutalized.Fivemonthsago,SaddamHusseinstartedthiscruelwaragainstKuwait.Tonight,thebattlehasbeenjoined.

Thismilitaryaction,takeninaccordwithUnitedNationsresolutionsandwiththeconsentoftheUnitedStatesCongress,followsmonthsofconstantandvirtuallyendlessdiplomaticactivityonthepartoftheUnitedNations,theUnitedStates,andmany,manyothercountries.ArableaderssoughtwhatbecameknownasanArabsolution,onlytoconcludethatSaddamHusseinwasunwillingtoleaveKuwait.OtherstraveledtoBaghdadinavarietyofeffortstorestorepeaceandjustice.OurSecretaryofState,JamesBaker,heldanhistoricmeetinginGeneva,onlytobetotallyrebuffed.Thispastweekend,inalast-ditcheffort,theSecretary-GeneraloftheUnitedNationswenttotheMiddleEastwithpeaceinhisheart--hissecondsuchmission.AndhecamebackfromBaghdadwithnoprogressatallingettingSaddamHusseintowithdrawfromKuwait.

Nowthe28countrieswithforcesintheGulfareahaveexhaustedallreasonableeffortstoreachapeacefulresolution--havenochoicebuttodriveSaddamfromKuwaitbyforce.Wewillnotfail.

AsIreporttoyou,airattacksareunderwayagainstmilitarytargetsinIraq.WearedeterminedtoknockoutSaddamHussein''''snuclearbombpotential.Wewillalsodestroyhischemicalweaponsfacilities.MuchofSaddam''''sartilleryandtankswillbedestroyed.OuroperationsaredesignedtobestprotectthelivesofallthecoalitionforcesbytargetingSaddam''''svastmilitaryarsenal.InitialreportsfromGeneralSchwarzkopfarethatouroperationsareproceedingaccordingtoplan.

Ourobjectivesareclear:SaddamHussein''''sforceswillleaveKuwait.ThelegitimategovernmentofKuwaitwillberestoredtoitsrightfulplace,andKuwaitwillonceagainbefree.IraqwilleventuallycomplywithallrelevantUnitedNationsresolutions,andthen,whenpeaceisrestored,itisourhopethatIraqwillliveasapeacefulandcooperativememberofthefamilyofnations,thusenhancingthesecurityandstabilityoftheGulf.

Somemayask:Whyactnow?Whynotwait?Theanswerisclear:Theworldcouldwaitnolonger.Sanctions,thoughhavingsomeeffect,showednosignsofaccomplishingtheirobjective.Sanctionsweretriedforwellover5months,andweandouralliesconcludedthatsanctionsalonewouldnotforceSaddamfromKuwait.

Whiletheworldwaited,SaddamHusseinsystematicallyraped,pillaged,andplunderedatinynation,nothreattohisown.HesubjectedthepeopleofKuwaittounspeakableatrocities--andamongthosemaimedandmurdered,innocentchildren.

Whiletheworldwaited,Saddamsoughttoaddtothechemicalweaponsarsenalhenowpossesses,aninfinitelymoredangerousweaponofmassdestruction--anuclearweapon.Andwhiletheworldwaited,whiletheworldtalkedpeaceandwithdrawal,SaddamHusseinduginandmovedmassiveforcesintoKuwait.

Whiletheworldwaited,whileSaddamstalled,moredamagewasbeingdonetothefragileeconomiesoftheThirdWorld,emergingdemocraciesofEasternEurope,totheentireworld,includingtoourowneconomy.

TheUnitedStates,togetherwiththeUnitedNations,exhaustedeverymeansatourdisposaltobringthiscrisistoapeacefulend.However,SaddamclearlyfeltthatbystallingandthreateninganddefyingtheUnitedNations,hecouldweakentheforcesarrayedagainsthim.

Whiletheworldwaited,SaddamHusseinmeteveryovertureofpeacewithopencontempt.Whiletheworldprayedforpeace,Saddampreparedforwar.

IhadhopedthatwhentheUnitedStatesCongress,inhistoricdebate,tookitsresoluteaction,SaddamwouldrealizehecouldnotprevailandwouldmoveoutofKuwaitinaccordwiththeUnitedNationresolutions.Hedidnotdothat.Instead,heremainedintransigent,certainthattimewasonhisside.

SaddamwaswarnedoverandoveragaintocomplywiththewilloftheUnitedNations:LeaveKuwait,orbedrivenout.Saddamhasarrogantlyrejectedallwarnings.Instead,hetriedtomakethisadisputebetweenIraqandtheUnitedStatesofAmerica.

Well,hefailed.Tonight,28nations--countriesfrom5continents,EuropeandAsia,Africa,andtheArabLeague--haveforcesintheGulfareastandingshouldertoshoulderagainstSaddamHussein.Thesecountrieshadhopedtheuseofforcecouldbeavoided.Regrettably,wenowbelievethatonlyforcewillmakehimleave.

Priortoorderingourforcesintobattle,Iinstructedourmilitarycommanderstotakeeverynecessarysteptoprevailasquicklyaspossible,andwiththegreatestdegreeofprotectionpossibleforAmericanandalliedservicemenandwomen.I''''vetoldtheAmericanpeoplebeforethatthiswillnotbeanotherVietnam,andIrepeatthisheretonight.Ourtroopswillhavethebestpossiblesupportintheentireworld,andtheywillnotbeaskedtofightwithonehandtiedbehindtheirback.I''''mhopefulthatthisfightingwillnotgoonforlongandthatcasualtieswillbeheldtoanabsoluteminimum.

Thisisanhistoricmoment.Wehaveinthispastyearmadegreatprogressinendingthelongeraofconflictandcoldwar.Wehavebeforeustheopportunitytoforgeforourselvesandforfuturegenerationsanewworldorder--aworldwheretheruleoflaw,notthelawofthejungle,governstheconductofnations.Whenwearesuccessful--andwewillbe--wehavearealchanceatthisnewworldorder,anorderinwhichacredibleUnitedNationscanuseitspeacekeepingroletofulfillthepromiseandvisionoftheU.N.''''sfounders.公务员之家版权所有

WehavenoargumentwiththepeopleofIraq.Indeed,fortheinnocentscaughtinthisconflict,Iprayfortheirsafety.OurgoalisnottheconquestofIraq.ItistheliberationofKuwait.ItismyhopethatsomehowtheIraqipeoplecan,evennow,convincetheirdictatorthathemustlaydownhisarms,leaveKuwait,andletIraqitselfrejointhefamilyofpeace-lovingnations.

ThomasPainewrotemanyyearsago:"Thesearethetimesthattrymen''''ssouls.''''''''Thosewell-knownwordsaresoverytruetoday.ButevenasplanesofthemultinationalforcesattackIraq,Iprefertothinkofpeace,notwar.Iamconvincednotonlythatwewillprevailbutthatoutofthehorrorofcombatwillcometherecognitionthatnonationcanstandagainstaworldunited,nonationwillbepermittedtobrutallyassaultitsneighbor.

NoPresidentcaneasilycommitoursonsanddaughterstowar.TheyaretheNation''''sfinest.Oursisanall-volunteerforce,magnificentlytrained,highlymotivated.Thetroopsknowwhythey''''rethere.Andlistentowhattheysay,forthey''''vesaiditbetterthananyPresidentorPrimeMinisterevercould.

ListentoHollywoodHuddleston,Marinelancecorporal.Hesays,"Let''''sfreethesepeople,sowecangohomeandbefreeagain.''''''''Andhe''''sright.TheterriblecrimesandtorturescommittedbySaddam''''shenchmenagainsttheinnocentpeopleofKuwaitareanaffronttomankindandachallengetothefreedomofall.

Listentooneofourgreatofficersoutthere,MarineLieutenantGeneralWalterBoomer.Hesaid:"Therearethingsworthfightingfor.Aworldinwhichbrutalityandlawlessnessareallowedtogouncheckedisn''''tthekindofworldwe''''regoingtowanttolivein.''''''''

ListentoMasterSergeantJ.P.Kendallofthe82ndAirborne:"We''''rehereformorethanjustthepriceofagallonofgas.Whatwe''''redoingisgoingtochartthefutureoftheworldforthenext100years.It''''sbettertodealwiththisguynowthan5yearsfromnow.''''''''

Andfinally,weshouldallsitupandlistentoJackieJones,anArmylieutenant,whenshesays,"Ifwelethimgetawaywiththis,whoknowswhat''''sgoingtobenext?''''''''

IhavecalleduponHollywoodandWalterandJ.P.andJackieandalltheircourageouscomrades-in-armstodowhatmustbedone.Tonight,Americaandtheworldaredeeplygratefultothemandtotheirfamilies.Andletmesaytoeveryonelisteningorwatchingtonight:Whenthetroopswe''''vesentinfinishtheirwork,Iamdeterminedtobringthemhomeassoonaspossible.

Tonight,asourforcesfight,theyandtheirfamiliesareinourprayers.MayGodblesseachandeveryoneofthem,andthecoalitionforcesatoursideintheGulf,andmayHecontinuetoblessournation,theUnitedStatesofAmerica.

GeorgeBush-January16,1991公务员之家版权所有