George Bush: The driving force behind America's foreign policy

From a speech at the state dining room of the White House, to the American National Governors Association

You ought to see the movie, Osama. It's an interesting movie. It talks about what it was like to be a woman in Afghanistan during the Taliban era. It will give you a perspective about what it means to be a governor in a nation which is willing to sacrifice not only for its own security, but for the freedom of others. When you hear talk about being a liberator, that movie will bring home what it means to be liberated from the clutches of barbarism.

A lot of my foreign policy is driven by the fact that I truly believe that freedom is a gift from the Almighty to every person, and that America has a responsibility to take a lead in the world, to help people be free. And we're making progress in Afghanistan. We really are. Just look at the fact that young girls are now going to school for the first time in a long period of time.

It is essential we succeed in Iraq, just like it's essential we succeed in Afghanistan.The danger is that the Iraqi people think we'll cut and run; that's what they're worried about. We're not going to cut and run. We've got to make it clear we're there to succeed, and we will.

And they're making progress on the ground. I don't think it's all that bad that people are arguing about the nature of government. It's a pretty good sign. We argue about government all the time here. As a matter of fact, later on this year, we'll be having a pretty good argument about government. But it's a good sign in Iraq. That's part of the process of heading for a society in which minority rights are recognised and human dignity is paramount.