Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Old Guard Audio ❗


Highlighting the Hatred for Donald Trump by the Democrats.

Outlining the moral depravity of the Democrats. Take the country back in 2024!

Aug 29, 2017

President Trump - Presidential Address to the Nation on Afghanistan

Terrorists take heed -  America will never let up until you are dealt a lasting defeat.

0 - 00

The President -  Vice President Pence,

0 - 03

Secretary of State Tillerson,

0 - 05

members of the Cabinet, General Dunford,

0 - 10

Deputy Secretary Shanahan,

0 - 13

and Colonel Duggan.

0 - 16

Most especially, thank you to the men

0 - 20

and women of Fort Myer

0 - 22

and every member of the United States

0 - 24

military at home and abroad.

0 - 28

We send our thoughts and prayers

0 - 30

to the families of our brave sailors

0 - 33

who were injured and lost

0 - 34

after a tragic collision at sea,

0 - 37

as well as to those conducting

0 - 39

the search and recovery efforts.

0 - 43

I am here tonight to lay out our path forward

0 - 45

in Afghanistan and South Asia.

0 - 50

But before I provide the details

0 - 52

of our new strategy,

0 - 54

I want to say a few words

0 - 55

to the servicemembers here with us tonight,

0 - 59

to those watching from their posts,

1 - 02

and to all Americans listening at home.

1 - 08

Since the founding of our republic,

1 - 09

our country has produced a special class of heroes

1 - 14

whose selflessness, courage,

1 - 17

and resolve is unmatched in human history.

1 - 21

American patriots from every generation

1 - 24

have given their last breath on the battlefield

1 - 28

for our nation

1 - 30

and for our freedom.

1 - 33

Through their lives --

1 - 36

and though their lives were cut short,

1 - 40

in their deeds they achieved

1 - 42

total immortality.

1 - 45

By following the heroic example of those

1 - 49

who fought to preserve our republic,

1 - 52

we can find the inspiration

1 - 54

our country needs to unify, to heal,

1 - 58

and to remain one nation under God.

2 - 04

The men and women of our military operate

2 - 07

as one team,

2 - 09

with one shared mission,

2 - 11

and one shared sense of purpose.

2 - 15

They transcend every line of race,

2 - 19

ethnicity, creed,

2 - 20

and color to serve together --

2 - 22

and sacrifice together --

2 - 25

in absolutely perfect cohesion.

2 - 29

That is because all servicemembers

2 - 32

are brothers and sisters.

2 - 36

They're all part of the same family;

2 - 40

it's called the American family.

2 - 43

They take the same oath, fight for the same flag,

2 - 48

and live according to the same law.

2 - 53

They are bound together by common purpose,

2 - 56

mutual trust,

2 - 57

and selfless devotion to our nation

3 - 00

and to each other.

3 - 02

The soldier understands what we, as a nation,

3 - 06

too often forget that a wound

3 - 09

inflicted upon a single member of our community

3 - 14

is a wound inflicted upon us all.

3 - 19

When one part of America hurts, we all hurt.

3 - 25

And when one citizen suffers an injustice,

3 - 28

we all suffer together.

3 - 32

Loyalty to our nation demands loyalty

3 - 35

to one another.

3 - 37

Love for America

3 - 38

requires love for all of its people.

3 - 43

When we open our hearts to patriotism,

3 - 46

there is no room for prejudice,

3 - 49

no place for bigotry,

3 - 51

and no tolerance for hate.

3 - 55

The young men and women we send to fight our wars abroad

4 - 00

deserve to return to a country

4 - 02

that is not at war with itself at home.

4 - 07

We cannot remain a force for peace in the world

4 - 11

if we are not at peace with each other.

4 - 15

As we send our bravest

4 - 16

to defeat our enemies overseas --

4 - 19

and we will always win --

4 - 21

let us find the courage

4 - 23

to heal our divisions within.

4 - 27

Let us make a simple promise to the men

4 - 29

and women we ask to fight in our name that,

4 - 32

when they return home from battle,

4 - 35

they will find a country

4 - 37

that has renewed

4 - 39

the sacred bonds of love and loyalty

4 - 42

that unite us together as one.

4 - 45

Thanks to the vigilance and skill

4 - 48

of the American military

4 - 50

and of our many allies throughout the world,

4 - 54

horrors on the scale of September 11th --

4 - 59

and nobody can ever forget that --

5 - 02

have not been repeated on our shores.

5 - 06

But we must also acknowledge

5 - 08

the reality I am here to talk about tonight -

5 - 11

that nearly 16 years after September 11th attacks,

5 - 15

after the extraordinary sacrifice of blood and treasure,

5 - 20

the American people are weary of war

5 - 25

without victory.

5 - 28

Nowhere is this more evident

5 - 30

than with the war in Afghanistan,

5 - 32

the longest war in American history --

5 - 36

17 years.

5 - 38

I share the American people s frustration.

5 - 42

I also share their frustration

5 - 46

over a foreign policy

5 - 47

that has spent too much time, energy, money,

5 - 51

and most importantly lives,

5 - 53

trying to rebuild countries

5 - 55

in our own image,

5 - 57

instead of pursuing our security interests

6 - 00

above all other considerations.

6 - 04

That is why, shortly after my inauguration,

6 - 09

I directed Secretary of Defense Mattis

6 - 12

and my national security team

6 - 15

to undertake a comprehensive review

6 - 18

of all strategic options in Afghanistan

6 - 21

and South Asia.

6 - 24

My original instinct was to pull out --

6 - 29

and, historically, I like following my instincts.

6 - 34

But all my life I've heard

6 - 36

that decisions are much different

6 - 39

when you sit behind the desk in the Oval Office;

6 - 43

in other words,

6 - 44

when you're President of the United States.

6 - 48

So I studied Afghanistan in great detail

6 - 51

and from every conceivable angle.

6 - 55

After many meetings, over many months,

6 - 59

we held our final meeting last Friday

7 - 02

at Camp David,

7 - 03

with my Cabinet and generals,

7 - 06

to complete our strategy.

7 - 10

I arrived at three fundamental conclusions

7 - 12

about America s core interests in Afghanistan.

7 - 16

First, our nation must seek an honorable

7 - 20

and enduring outcome

7 - 22

worthy of the tremendous sacrifices

7 - 25

that have been made,

7 - 27

especially the sacrifices of lives.

7 - 32

The men and women who serve our nation

7 - 34

in combat deserve a plan for victory.

7 - 38

They deserve the tools they need,

7 - 40

and the trust they have earned,

7 - 43

to fight and to win.

7 - 45

Second, the consequences of a rapid exit

7 - 50

are both predictable and unacceptable.

7 - 55

9/11, the worst terrorist attack in our history,

7 - 59

was planned and directed from Afghanistan

8 - 03

because that country was ruled by a government

8 - 07

that gave comfort and shelter to terrorists.

8 - 11

A hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum

8 - 15

that terrorists,

8 - 16

including ISIS and al Qaeda,

8 - 19

would instantly fill,

8 - 21

just as happened before September 11th.

8 - 26

And, as we know, in 2011,

8 - 30

America hastily

8 - 33

and mistakenly withdrew from Iraq.

8 - 38

As a result, our hard-won gains slipped back

8 - 42

into the hands of terrorist enemies.

8 - 46

Our soldiers watched as cities

8 - 48

they had fought for,

8 - 49

and bled to liberate, and won, were occupied

8 - 53

by a terrorist group called ISIS.

8 - 57

The vacuum we created by leaving too soon

8 - 59

gave safe haven for ISIS to spread,

9 - 02

to grow, recruit, and launch attacks.

9 - 07

We cannot repeat in Afghanistan the mistake

9 - 11

our leaders made in Iraq.

9 - 15

Third and finally, I concluded

9 - 18

that the security threats

9 - 19

we face in Afghanistan

9 - 21

and the broader region are immense.

9 - 25

Today, 20 U.S.-designated

9 - 28

foreign terrorist organizations

9 - 31

are active in Afghanistan and Pakistan --

9 - 34

the highest concentration in any region

9 - 39

anywhere in the world.

9 - 41

For its part,

9 - 42

Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos,

9 - 49

violence, and terror.

9 - 52

The threat is worse because

9 - 53

Pakistan and India

9 - 55

are two nuclear-armed states

9 - 58

whose tense relations

9 - 59

threaten to spiral into conflict.

10 - 03

And that could happen.

10 - 05

No one denies that we have inherited

10 - 07

a challenging and troubling situation

10 - 10

in Afghanistan and South Asia,

10 - 13

but we do not have the luxury

10 - 15

of going back in time

10 - 17

and making different or better decisions.

10 - 20

When I became President,

10 - 22

I was given a bad and very complex hand,

10 - 26

but I fully knew what I was getting into -

10 - 28

big and intricate problems.

10 - 31

But, one way or another,

10 - 32

these problems will be solved --

10 - 35

I'm a problem solver --

10 - 37

and, in the end, we will win.

10 - 41

We must address the reality of the world

10 - 44

as it exists right now -- the threats we face,

10 - 49

and the confronting of all of the problems

10 - 52

of today,

10 - 54

and extremely predictable consequences

10 - 58

of a hasty withdrawal.

11 - 01

We need look no further than last week's vile,

11 - 04

vicious attack in Barcelona to understand

11 - 09

that terror groups will stop at nothing to commit

11 - 13

the mass murder of innocent men,

11 - 17

women and children.

11 - 19

You saw it for yourself.

11 - 21

Horrible.

11 - 23

As I outlined in my speech

11 - 25

in Saudi Arabia three months ago,

11 - 27

America and our partners are committed

11 - 30

to stripping terrorists of their territory,

11 - 33

cutting off their funding,

11 - 35

and exposing the false allure

11 - 37

of their evil ideology.

11 - 41

Terrorists who slaughter innocent people

11 - 43

will find no glory in this life or the next.

11 - 49

They are nothing but thugs,

11 - 50

and criminals, and predators,

11 - 52

and -- that's right -- losers.

11 - 56

Working alongside our allies,

11 - 58

we will break their will, dry up their recruitment,

12 - 02

keep them from crossing our borders,

12 - 04

and yes, we will defeat them,

12 - 07

and we will defeat them handily.

12 - 10

In Afghanistan and Pakistan,

12 - 12

America's interests are clear -

12 - 15

We must stop the resurgence of safe havens

12 - 19

that enable terrorists to threaten America,

12 - 22

and we must prevent nuclear weapons and materials

12 - 25

from coming into the hands of terrorists

12 - 28

and being used against us,

12 - 30

or anywhere in the world for that matter.

12 - 34

But to prosecute this war,

12 - 37

we will learn from history.

12 - 39

As a result of our comprehensive review,

12 - 42

American strategy in Afghanistan

12 - 44

and South Asia

12 - 45

will change dramatically in the following ways -

12 - 50

A core pillar of our new strategy

12 - 53

is a shift from a time-based approach

12 - 57

to one based on conditions.

13 - 00

I've said it many times

13 - 02

how counterproductive it is

13 - 03

for the United States to announce in advance

13 - 06

the dates we intend to begin,

13 - 08

or end, military options.

13 - 11

We will not talk about numbers of troops

13 - 15

or our plans for further military activities.

13 - 19

Conditions on the ground --

13 - 21

not arbitrary timetables --

13 - 24

will guide our strategy from now on.

13 - 28

America's enemies must never know our plans

13 - 31

or believe they can wait us out.

13 - 34

I will not say when we are going to attack,

13 - 38

but attack we will.

13 - 41

Another fundamental pillar

13 - 43

of our new strategy

13 - 45

is the integration of all instruments

13 - 47

of American power --

13 - 49

diplomatic, economic, and military --

13 - 53

toward a successful outcome.

13 - 56

Someday, after an effective

13 - 58

military effort,

14 - 00

perhaps it will be possible

14 - 01

to have a political settlement

14 - 03

that includes elements

14 - 04

of the Taliban in Afghanistan,

14 - 07

but nobody knows if or when

14 - 10

that will ever happen.

14 - 12

America will continue its support

14 - 15

for the Afghan government

14 - 17

and the Afghan military

14 - 19

as they confront the Taliban

14 - 22

in the field.

14 - 23

Ultimately, it is up to the people of Afghanistan

14 - 26

to take ownership of their future,

14 - 28

to govern their society,

14 - 31

and to achieve an everlasting peace.

14 - 35

We are a partner and a friend,

14 - 37

but we will not dictate to the Afghan people

14 - 40

how to live,

14 - 41

or how to govern their own complex society.

14 - 45

We are not nation-building again.

14 - 48

We are killing terrorists.

14 - 51

The next pillar of our new strategy

14 - 54

is to change the approach

14 - 57

and how to deal with Pakistan.

15 - 01

We can no longer be silent about

15 - 03

Pakistan's safe havens

15 - 04

for terrorist organizations,

15 - 07

the Taliban, and other groups

15 - 09

that pose a threat to the region and beyond.

15 - 13

Pakistan has much to gain

15 - 15

from partnering

15 - 16

with our effort in Afghanistan.

15 - 19

It has much to lose by continuing

15 - 22

to harbor criminals and terrorists.

15 - 26

In the past, Pakistan has been a valued partner.

15 - 30

Our militaries have worked together

15 - 32

against common enemies.

15 - 34

The Pakistani people have suffered greatly

15 - 37

from terrorism and extremism.

15 - 40

We recognize those contributions

15 - 43

and those sacrifices.

15 - 45

But Pakistan has also sheltered the same

15 - 48

organizations

15 - 49

that try every single day to kill our people.

15 - 54

We have been paying Pakistan billions

15 - 58

and billions of dollars at the same time

16 - 01

they are housing the very terrorists

16 - 04

that we are fighting.

16 - 06

But that will have to change,

16 - 09

and that will change immediately.

16 - 11

No partnership can survive a country's

16 - 14

harboring of militants

16 - 15

and terrorists who target

16 - 16

U.S. servicemembers and officials.

16 - 19

It is time for Pakistan

16 - 21

to demonstrate its commitment

16 - 23

to civilization, order, and to peace.

16 - 27

Another critical part of the South Asia

16 - 30

strategy for America

16 - 32

is to further develop

16 - 33

its strategic partnership with India --

16 - 36

the world's largest democracy

16 - 39

and a key security

16 - 40

and economic partner of the United States.

16 - 43

We appreciate India's important contributions

16 - 47

to stability in Afghanistan,

16 - 49

but India makes billions of dollars

16 - 52

in trade with the United States,

16 - 54

and we want them to help us more with Afghanistan,

16 - 58

especially in the area

17 - 00

of economic assistance

17 - 02

and development.

17 - 04

We are committed to pursuing

17 - 05

our shared objectives

17 - 07

for peace and security in South Asia

17 - 10

and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

17 - 13

Finally, my administration

17 - 15

will ensure that you,

17 - 17

the brave defenders of the American people,

17 - 21

will have the necessary tools

17 - 23

and rules of engagement

17 - 24

to make this strategy work,

17 - 26

and work effectively and work quickly.

17 - 29

I have already lifted restrictions

17 - 31

the previous administration

17 - 33

placed on our warfighters

17 - 36

that prevented the Secretary of Defense

17 - 38

and our commanders in the field from fully

17 - 41

and swiftly waging battle against the enemy.

17 - 46

Micromanagement from Washington, D.C.

17 - 48

does not win battles.

17 - 51

They are won in the field drawing upon the judgment

17 - 54

and expertise of wartime commanders

17 - 58

and frontline soldiers

18 - 01

acting in real time, with real authority,

18 - 04

and with a clear mission to defeat the enemy.

18 - 09

That's why we will also expand authority

18 - 12

for American armed forces

18 - 14

to target the terrorist and criminal networks

18 - 17

that sow violence

18 - 18

and chaos throughout Afghanistan.

18 - 22

These killers need to know

18 - 24

they have nowhere to hide;

18 - 25

that no place is beyond the reach of American

18 - 29

might and Americans arms.

18 - 31

Retribution will be fast and powerful.

18 - 36

As we lift restrictions

18 - 37

and expand authorities in the field,

18 - 40

we are already seeing dramatic results

18 - 42

in the campaign to defeat ISIS,

18 - 45

including the liberation of Mosul in Iraq.

18 - 49

Since my inauguration,

18 - 50

we have achieved record-breaking

18 - 53

success in that regard.

18 - 55

We will also maximize sanctions

18 - 58

and other financial and law enforcement actions

19 - 01

against these networks

19 - 02

to eliminate their ability to export terror.

19 - 07

When America commits its warriors to battle,

19 - 10

we must ensure they have every weapon to apply

19 - 13

swift, decisive,

19 - 15

and overwhelming force.

19 - 18

Our troops will fight to win.

19 - 21

We will fight to win.

19 - 24

From now on, victory will have a clear definition -

19 - 29

attacking our enemies, obliterating ISIS,

19 - 32

crushing al Qaeda,

19 - 34

preventing the Taliban

19 - 35

from taking over Afghanistan,

19 - 38

and stopping mass terror attacks against America

19 - 41

before they emerge.

19 - 43

We will ask our NATO allies

19 - 45

and global partners

19 - 46

to support our new strategy

19 - 48

with additional troop

19 - 49

and funding increases in line with our own.

19 - 53

We are confident they will.

19 - 55

Since taking office, I have made clear

19 - 58

that our allies and partners

19 - 59

must contribute much more money

20 - 03

to our collective defense,

20 - 06

and they have done so.

20 - 09

In this struggle,

20 - 11

the heaviest burden will continue to be borne

20 - 14

by the good people of Afghanistan

20 - 16

and their courageous armed forces.

20 - 19

As the prime minister of Afghanistan has promised,

20 - 23

we are going to participate

20 - 25

in economic development

20 - 27

to help defray the cost of this war to us.

20 - 32

Afghanistan is fighting to defend

20 - 35

and secure their country

20 - 36

against the same enemies who threaten us.

20 - 39

The stronger the Afghan security forces become,

20 - 42

the less we will have to do.

20 - 45

Afghans will secure and build their own nation

20 - 49

and define their own future.

20 - 52

We want them to succeed.

20 - 54

But we will no longer use American military

20 - 57

might to construct democracies

20 - 59

in faraway lands,

21 - 01

or try to rebuild other countries

21 - 03

in our own image.

21 - 04

Those days are now over.

21 - 07

Instead, we will work with allies and partners

21 - 10

to protect our shared interests.

21 - 12

We are not asking others

21 - 14

to change their way of life,

21 - 16

but to pursue common goals

21 - 17

that allow our children

21 - 19

to live better and safer lives.

21 - 22

This principled realism

21 - 24

will guide our decisions moving forward.

21 - 27

Military power alone will not bring peace

21 - 30

to Afghanistan

21 - 31

or stop the terrorist threat

21 - 33

arising in that country.

21 - 35

But strategically applied force

21 - 37

aims to create the conditions

21 - 39

for a political process

21 - 41

to achieve a lasting peace.

21 - 44

America will work with the Afghan government

21 - 48

as long as we see determination

21 - 51

and progress.

21 - 53

However, our commitment is not unlimited,

21 - 56

and our support is not a blank check.

22 - 01

The government of Afghanistan

22 - 03

must carry their share

22 - 06

of the military,

22 - 07

political, and economic burden.

22 - 11

The American people expect to see

22 - 12

real reforms,

22 - 14

real progress, and real results.

22 - 17

Our patience is not unlimited.

22 - 21

We will keep our eyes wide open.

22 - 24

In abiding by the oath I took on January 20th,

22 - 27

I will remain steadfast in protecting American lives

22 - 31

and American interests.

22 - 34

In this effort, we will make common cause

22 - 38

with any nation

22 - 39

that chooses to stand and fight alongside us

22 - 42

against this global threat.

22 - 45

Terrorists take heed -  America will never let up

22 - 49

until you are dealt a lasting defeat.

22 - 53

Under my administration, many billions of dollars

22 - 56

more is being spent on our military.

22 - 59

And this includes vast amounts being spent

23 - 02

on our nuclear arsenal and missile defense.

23 - 06

In every generation, we have faced down evil,

23 - 09

and we have always prevailed.

23 - 13

We prevailed because we know who we are

23 - 17

and what we are fighting for.

23 - 19

Not far from where we are gathered tonight,

23 - 22

hundreds of thousands

23 - 23

of America's greatest patriots

23 - 25

lay in eternal rest

23 - 28

at Arlington National Cemetery.

23 - 32

There is more courage, sacrifice,

23 - 35

and love in those hallowed grounds

23 - 39

than in any other spot on the face of the Earth.

23 - 44

Many of those who have fought and died

23 - 46

in Afghanistan enlisted in the months

23 - 49

after September 11th, 2001.

23 - 53

They volunteered for a simple reason -

23 - 56

They loved America,

23 - 57

and they were determined to protect her.

24 - 01

Now we must secure the cause

24 - 02

for which they gave their lives.

24 - 05

We must unite to defend America

24 - 08

from its enemies abroad.

24 - 10

We must restore the bonds of loyalty

24 - 13

among our citizens at home,

24 - 16

and we must achieve an honorable

24 - 19

and enduring outcome

24 - 21

worthy of the enormous price

24 - 24

that so many have paid.

24 - 26

Our actions, and in the months to come,

24 - 29

all of them will honor

24 - 31

the sacrifice

24 - 32

of every fallen hero,

24 - 35

every family who lost a loved one,

24 - 37

and every wounded warrior who shed their blood

24 - 40

in defense of our great nation.

24 - 44

With our resolve, we will ensure that your service

24 - 49

and that your families

24 - 51

will bring about the defeat of our enemies

24 - 54

and the arrival of peace.

24 - 57

We will push onward to victory with power

25 - 00

in our hearts,

25 - 01

courage in our souls,

25 - 03

and everlasting pride in each

25 - 06

and every one of you.

25 - 09

Thank you. May God bless our military.

25 - 14

And may God bless the United States of America.

25 - 18

Thank you very much, thank you.