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CNN Live Event/Special
President Bush holds Weekly Radio Address
Aired October 18, 2003 - 10:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN AUDIOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning.
During the decades of Saddam Hussein's oppression and misrule, all Iraqis suffered, including children. While Saddam built palaces and monuments to himself, Iraqi schools crumbled. While Saddam supported a massive war machine, Iraqi school children went without textbooks and sometimes teachers went unpaid.
Saddam used schools for his own purpose, to indoctrinate the youth of Iraq and teach hatred. Under Saddam, adult literacy was 61 percent, and for women it was a staggering 77 percent. Iraq is a nation with a proud tradition of learning and that tradition was betrayed by Saddam Hussein.
As part of our coalition's efforts to build a stable and secure Iraq, we are working to rebuild Iraq schools, to get the teachers back to work, and to make sure Iraqi children have the supplies they need.
Six months ago, nearly all of Iraq schools were closed, and many primary schools lacked electrical wiring and plumbing and windows. Today, all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools in the children.
Earlier this year, we said we would rehabilitate 1,000 schools by the time school started. This month, just days before the first day of class, our coalition and our Iraqi partners had refurbished over 1,500 schools. Under Saddam, textbooks were so rare, six students had to share each one. So we're working with UNESCO to print five million revised and modern textbooks free of Ba'athist propaganda, and to distribute them to Iraqi students.
By the end of the school year, there will be enough textbooks for each Iraqi student. And for the first time in years, they will get to read the work of great Iraqi writers and poets, much of it banned by Saddam's regime.
We have assembled more than a million school supply kits, including pencils and calculators and notepads for Iraqi schoolchildren. We have distributed tens of thousands of student desks and teacher chairs and chalkboards. And to assure the health of students, we have delivered over 22 million vaccinations for Iraqi children. In many cases, American soldiers have intervened personally to make sure Iraqi schools get the supplies they need. Army First Lieutenant Kyle Bardon (ph) of Charlotte, North Carolina, wanted supplies for the 11 schools in Lalin (ph), Iraq. In response to Kyle's request for help, North Carolina school children, doctors, businesses and others have donated thousands of dollars to buy notebooks and pencils and color pens.
Army Major Greg Softey (ph) of the 1st Armored Division sent an email to friends about Iraq schools. The response was overwhelming. Hundreds of packages were shipped and a Web site was established to encourage other Americans to contribute.
All of our efforts to improve Iraqi education ultimately serve the cause of security and peace. We want young Iraqis to learn skills and to grow in hope, instead of being fed a steady diet of propaganda and hatred. We're making progress, but there's still much work to do.
The request I made to Congress for Iraqi reconstruction includes funds for additional health and training projects. I urge Congress to pass my budget request soon so this vital work can proceed.
Our efforts will help Iraq reclaim its proud heritage of learning and bring it into the family of nations. An elderly man in Umm Qasar recently tried an Internet connection for the first time. He was stunned by the speed with which he could read newspapers across the world. He said, "Our society has been cut off from the world and now we're reconnected."
As Iraq rejoins the world, it will demonstrate the power of freedom of hope to overcome hatred and resentment. And this transformation will make our nation more secure.
Thank you for listening.
(END AUDIOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 18, 2003 - 10:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN AUDIOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning.
During the decades of Saddam Hussein's oppression and misrule, all Iraqis suffered, including children. While Saddam built palaces and monuments to himself, Iraqi schools crumbled. While Saddam supported a massive war machine, Iraqi school children went without textbooks and sometimes teachers went unpaid.
Saddam used schools for his own purpose, to indoctrinate the youth of Iraq and teach hatred. Under Saddam, adult literacy was 61 percent, and for women it was a staggering 77 percent. Iraq is a nation with a proud tradition of learning and that tradition was betrayed by Saddam Hussein.
As part of our coalition's efforts to build a stable and secure Iraq, we are working to rebuild Iraq schools, to get the teachers back to work, and to make sure Iraqi children have the supplies they need.
Six months ago, nearly all of Iraq schools were closed, and many primary schools lacked electrical wiring and plumbing and windows. Today, all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools in the children.
Earlier this year, we said we would rehabilitate 1,000 schools by the time school started. This month, just days before the first day of class, our coalition and our Iraqi partners had refurbished over 1,500 schools. Under Saddam, textbooks were so rare, six students had to share each one. So we're working with UNESCO to print five million revised and modern textbooks free of Ba'athist propaganda, and to distribute them to Iraqi students.
By the end of the school year, there will be enough textbooks for each Iraqi student. And for the first time in years, they will get to read the work of great Iraqi writers and poets, much of it banned by Saddam's regime.
We have assembled more than a million school supply kits, including pencils and calculators and notepads for Iraqi schoolchildren. We have distributed tens of thousands of student desks and teacher chairs and chalkboards. And to assure the health of students, we have delivered over 22 million vaccinations for Iraqi children. In many cases, American soldiers have intervened personally to make sure Iraqi schools get the supplies they need. Army First Lieutenant Kyle Bardon (ph) of Charlotte, North Carolina, wanted supplies for the 11 schools in Lalin (ph), Iraq. In response to Kyle's request for help, North Carolina school children, doctors, businesses and others have donated thousands of dollars to buy notebooks and pencils and color pens.
Army Major Greg Softey (ph) of the 1st Armored Division sent an email to friends about Iraq schools. The response was overwhelming. Hundreds of packages were shipped and a Web site was established to encourage other Americans to contribute.
All of our efforts to improve Iraqi education ultimately serve the cause of security and peace. We want young Iraqis to learn skills and to grow in hope, instead of being fed a steady diet of propaganda and hatred. We're making progress, but there's still much work to do.
The request I made to Congress for Iraqi reconstruction includes funds for additional health and training projects. I urge Congress to pass my budget request soon so this vital work can proceed.
Our efforts will help Iraq reclaim its proud heritage of learning and bring it into the family of nations. An elderly man in Umm Qasar recently tried an Internet connection for the first time. He was stunned by the speed with which he could read newspapers across the world. He said, "Our society has been cut off from the world and now we're reconnected."
As Iraq rejoins the world, it will demonstrate the power of freedom of hope to overcome hatred and resentment. And this transformation will make our nation more secure.
Thank you for listening.
(END AUDIOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
