November 19, 2003
President Bush Discusses Iraq Policy at Whitehall Palace in London
Remarks by the President at Whitehall Palace
Royal Banqueting House-Whitehall Palace
London, England

When discussing the Middle East, President Bush said:

"Arab scholars speak of a freedom deficit that has separated whole nations from the progress of our time. The essentials of social and material progress -- limited government, equal justice under law, religious and economic liberty, political participation, free press, and respect for the rights of women -- have been scarce across the region. Yet that has begun to change. In an arc of reform from Morocco to Jordan to Qatar, we are seeing elections and new protections for women and the stirring of political pluralism. Many governments are realizing that theocracy and dictatorship do not lead to national greatness; they end in national ruin. They are finding, as others will find, that national progress and dignity are achieved when governments are just and people are free.