From BBC News:
President George W Bush begins his speech at the Banqueting House in central London at 1323 GMT. Mr Bush said he was honoured to be in the United Kingdom and said he brought the good wishes of the US. Mr Bush contrasted his visit with that of magician David Blane saying there were some in the UK who would have liked to see him suspended in a glass box.And in a reference to anti-war demonstrations he said it was clear that freedom of speech was alive in London. Mr Bush highlighted the common heritage between the UK and US and said much of the American national character came from Britain.He said the UK and US had an alliance of values which was today "very strong". The US and UK shared a mission in advancing freedom and the peace that came with it. The US honoured the sacrifice of British troops, Mr Bush said.
Mr Bush referred to the visit of a previous US president, Woodrow Wilson in 1918 at the end of World War One when Europe was one short generation from Auschwitz and the Blitz. He said the failure to tackle dictators such as Hitler meant they could pursue their policies unhindered. Mr Bush said it was an natural human desire to put 11 September 2001 behind us and hope that peace had returned. But there was a global terrorist campaign which had continued in the months since the atrocities in New York and Washington.Mr Bush said the greatest danger now was nuclear, chemical and biological weapons being obtained by unstable dictators. There was serious violence in Iraq despite the progress, the US president said.Mr Bush highlighted some of the changes in Iraq since the invasion including freedom of the press and school textbooks free of propaganda.The failure of democracy in Iraq would throw the country back into chaos but democracy would not fail, insisted Mr Bush.The enemies of reform and the allies of terror must be opposed, said Mr Bush.Tyranny should be opposed where ever it is found, said Mr Bush.
Decades of failed Western policy in the Middle East must now be abandoned - oppression must not be ignored just because it is not proximate.Democracy helped the poor be protected from corrupt elites said the US president.It was time for a change of thinking in the West about the capacity of muslim states to develop democratic systems.Mr Bush said democratic progress in the Middle East was not being imposed from abroad.Mr Bush acknowledged democracy did not come quickly and the Middle East countries had some distance to travel.Mr Bush said that by extending trade, prosperity would spread and with it freedom would flourish.The universal appeal of freedom was one the weapons in the fight against international terrorism.Mr Bush said democratic countries did not shelter terrorists.Beyond Europe's borders freedom was still a moral goal and liberty still needed its defenders.Europe's peaceful unity was one of the great achievements of the past half century but it was important to remember how that unity was achieved, Mr Bush said.Force against Iraq had only followed after diplomatic attempts had failed.Mr Bush said that the people of Iraq had rejoiced at the fall of Saddam Hussein.The US president said that sometimes the measured use of force became necessary such as in the Balkans and in Afghanistan.Mr Bush acknowledged the "principled objections" of some to the use of force but people in authority were not just judged by their good motivations.
Mr Bush said he wanted to work with other responsible governments. Nato and the European Union had to work together in order to thwart future dangers.Mr Bush said Nato was the "most successful multilateral organisation in history". Mr Bush said it was not enough to meet the dangers of the world with resolutions - they must be met with resolve.Mr Bush said the global demands of terror required a global response - that required the UN to be credible. The US and its allies would defeat the terrorists, Mr Bush vowed. Mr Bush said he could not take the pain away from those who had been bereaved as a result of the attacks in Iraq. Mr Bush said that acts of terror would not make the US led forces recoil and retreat. The invasion of Iraq had not taken place only for forces to retreat at the hands of "thugs and assassins" said Mr Bush. Mr Bush said that he wanted a viable Palestinian state and security for Israel.By resolving that issue a major excuse for hatred and resentment in the Middle East would be removed, said Mr Bush. The Palestinian people deserved real leaders who were capable of bringing about a Palestinian state. Israel should dismantle unauthorised outposts and stop the daily humiliation of the Palestinian people. All leaders should strongly oppose anti-Semitism which poisoned hopes for progress in the Middle East. Mr Bush said he wanted to encourage the strength and effectiveness of international institutions. Mr Bush said the US had always found good allies in London and he said Tony Blair had his "respect and deepest thanks".The seal was fixed on the friendship between the UK and US when Americans arrived to help defeat Nazis during World War Two, said Mr Bush. The US was fortunate to call the United Kingdom its closest ally in the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3283457.stm 
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