COUNTERING TERROR---AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ

Twin successes by a U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan and Iraq have opened enormous opportunities for freedom and democracy to the people in those two nations -- but continued vigilance on the part of the international community is needed to counter other threats to peace and stability in the world.

In Afghanistan, coalition forces destroyed a major terrorist training ground, and even now continue the process of liberating the country’s long-suffering people from the dual tyranny of the Taliban and al Qaeda, freeing a Muslim people and putting in place a representative Muslim government to lead them.

As Secretary of State Powell has pointed out, the victory in Afghanistan does not mean that nation is on its way to becoming an American colony or a 51^st state. Quite the contrary, the secretary has noted, that country "is governed by the most representative government in its history and is on its way to full constitutional government," and, for the first time in more than two decades, "the men and women of Afghanistan can look to the future with hope."

The liberation that has just come to Iraq is, similarly, a great victory for freedom -- one that has rescued the Iraqi people from a vicious oppressor even as it has freed the world from the threat posed by the existence of a rogue regime with access to weapons of mass destruction and links to terrorism.

With that liberation now achieved, the United States along with its coalition partners and others who are joining the effort are committed to helping the Iraqi people to achieve a stable and united country under a representative government. With the future of Iraq finally in the hands of its own people, the nation’s great human talent can be employed, and its oil wealth used, for the benefit of all its citizens.

President Bush helped to underscore the new reality recently, remarking that "we are helping to rebuild Iraq, where the dictator built palaces for himself instead of hospitals and schools for the people."

The difficult work that lies ahead in Iraq includes bringing order and security to areas that remain dangerous, bringing to justice the leaders of those who are loyal to the defunct regime of Saddam Hussein, locating hidden chemical and biological weapons, rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure after 30 years of devastation, and standing by the Iraqi people as they establish a government that is of, by and for the Iraqi people.

However, this transformation from dictatorship to democracy in Iraq will take time, and our coalition will stay until the work is done.

In line with that transformation, the international community -- the United States, together with nations and organizations in Europe, in Asia, and throughout the world -- will now play its vital role in what Secretary Powell has called the "noble effort" to bring relief, recovery and reconstruction to the nation.

A new day has, indeed, begun in Iraq.

And the advent of that new day can, more broadly, serve as an example to the region and to the world of a state transformed from a threat to a contributor -- a contributor to international peace and security.

But even as renewal in Iraq takes shape, the secretary has noted, "the larger international campaign against terrorism continues and must continue." And toward that end, America will continue to work with its partners to adapt our alliances and other relationships to meet 21^st century needs.

Our goal is to reinforce our deterrence and reshape our force structure so as to position our alliances to serve for the long term, with the United States continuing to serve its critical, central role. As the secretary has said, "the size and shape of the U.S. footprint in any number of places may change, but we will remain steadfast in meeting the security obligations that geography, history and destiny have placed upon us."

In this 21^st century world of global opportunities and challenges, many tasks -- from fighting terrorism and curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction to creating conditions for sustainable development, combating infectious diseases and promoting democratic and accountable government -- must be undertaken by the world community as a whole.

And the United States, all may be sure, stands ready to do its part wherever and whenever its assistance is needed.