And after September the 11th, the United States Congress also granted me additional authority to use military force against al Qaeda. . . .

”Ariel Sharon is a man of courage and a man of peace.”

Our job is to help Iraq forces be better equipped, to help their police be able to deal with these extremists and to help their government succeed.

This is a different - a different era, a different war, Stretch. So what we're - people are changing phone numbers and phone calls, and they're moving quick. And we've got to be able to detect and prevent. I keep saying that, but this is a - it requires quick action. . . .

Year after year in Washington, budget debates seem to come down to an old, tired argument: on one side, those who want more government, regardless of the cost; on the other, those who want less government, regardless of the need....Government has a role, and an important role. Yet, too much government crowds out initiative and hard work, private charity and the private economy....Government should be active, but limited; engaged, but not overbearing.

If our commanders on the ground say we need more troops, I will send them. But our commanders tell me they have the number of troops they need to do their job. Sending more Americans would undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight. And sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever, when we are, in fact, working for the day when Iraq can defend itself and we can leave.

I have faith, as I did when I announced my stem-cell decision in 2001, that science and ethics can coexist.