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Defense and Homeland Security
On September 11th, the lives of over three thousand innocent people were taken in senseless acts of terror. The Armed Forces of the United States of America are on the forefront of this fight and they need the support necessary to both deter aggression and defeat our adversaries.
Ultimately, there are many threats across the globe beyond the terrorist threat posed by groups like al Qaeda: North Korea has nuclear weapons; Iran is rapidly developing a nuclear program; China is building its military and showed the world that it's ready to wage war in space. We must maintain a strong military to ensure that we can counter the threats that exist and the threats that are emerging. In addition, I will continue to support research and development of technologies to guard against these threats.
The path ahead for Iraq will continue to be a difficult one and require the support and cooperation of the international community to help ease ethnic tensions, economic uncertainty and the growing pains of a burgeoning democracy. The Iraqi people, for the first time in decades, have the opportunity to embrace freedom and a new way of life thanks to the brave Marines and soldiers who are willing to fight for the freedom of a country thousands of miles from home. All of America owes a debt of gratitude to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces for their part in freeing an enslaved and impoverished country. Their sacrifices and courage will not be forgotten.
America continues to offer the best quality of life and the greatest freedoms. September 11 may have changed how we look at life but it did not change how we live it and the lengths that we will go to defend it. The character of our country comes from the cornfields of Kansas, the blue skies of Montana, the busy streets of New York and the beautiful beaches of California. It is this character that created a democratic republic to stand against tyranny, established freedom for all men and women and will end the threat of terrorism in our world.
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