Encouraging Peace in Sri Lanka
On December 24, representatives of the Co-Chairs of the Sri Lanka Donors Group, from Japan, the European Community, Norway and the United Kingdom met with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leaders in Kilinocchi, Sri Lanka to urge an immediate end to violence and to encourage them to engage positively with the government in peace talks. The United States, also one of the Co-Chairs, reiterates this message in the strongest possible terms. We are deeply concerned about the continued erosion of Sri Lanka’s four-year old ceasefire as marked by the recent series of violent incidents.
The United States recognizes that a lasting peace in Sri Lanka can only be achieved by Sri Lankans. We call on both sides to embrace peace and work together to build a future for Sri Lanka that is prosperous and secure.
2005/1214, Released on December 27, 2005 Press Statement, Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman, Washington, DC, December 27, 2005
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Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Encouraging Peace in Sri Lanka
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Egyptian Politician Ayman Nour
Statement on Conviction of Egyptian Politician Ayman Nour
The United States is deeply troubled by the conviction today of Egyptian politician Ayman Nour by an Egyptian court. The conviction of Mr. Nour, the runner-up in Egypt's 2005 presidential elections, calls into question Egypt's commitment to democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. We are also disturbed by reports that Mr. Nour's health has seriously declined due to the hunger strike on which he has embarked in protest of the conditions of his trial and detention.
The United States calls upon the Egyptian government to act under the laws of Egypt in the spirit of its professed desire for increased political openness and dialogue within Egyptian society, and out of humanitarian concern, to release Mr. Nour from detention.
# # # For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, December 24, 2005
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Monday, December 26, 2005
Indian Ocean tsunami A year later
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
One year ago, an earthquake off the island of Sumatra caused a violent tsunami. The tsunami swept across the Indian Ocean and caused enormous destruction from Asia to the Horn of Africa. More than 200,000 men, women, and children lost their lives, and entire villages were destroyed. A year later, we remember those days of sorrow, and we also recall acts of courage and kindness as America and many other nations rallied to help those in need and provide urgent relief. Our Nation is proud of the efforts and generosity of our Armed Services, relief professionals, volunteers, and all those who made contributions to the relief effort. We remain committed to helping the citizens of affected nations rebuild their economies, communities, and lives. At this time of remembrance, the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with those who suffered from this tragedy. May God comfort all those affected by the tsunami and give them strength in the years ahead.
# # # For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, December 26, 2005, Statement by the President
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Sunday, December 25, 2005
Why Christmas trees are not extinct
Why Christmas trees are not extinct, University of Utah study suggests why conifers did not die of thirst long ago. University of Utah
 | Conifer trees such these in Utah's Wasatch Range dominate many of Earth's temperate forests despite an internal plumbing problem: very short 'pipes' that carry water up from the roots. |
Conifers such as Christmas trees suffer a severe plumbing problem. The "pipes" that carry water through firs, pines and other conifers are 10 times shorter than those in flowering trees. But a University of Utah study suggests why conifers not only survive but thrive: efficient microscopic valves let water flow through conifers about as easily as it flows through other trees.
"When you are sitting around and admiring your Christmas tree, consider that it owes its existence in part to this clever microscopic valve," says John Sperry, a University of Utah biology professor who led the research team. "Without these valves, conifers could be much less common than they are, and conceivably their survival might be marginal."
The journal Science is publishing the study Dec. 23, two days before Christmas.
Sperry says that if conifers had not evolved easy-flow valves to make up for the short length of their water pipes or conduits, "it is doubtful they could hold their own with angiosperms [flowering trees] in today's forests. It's doubtful they would dominate whole regions of North America."
While scientists cannot really know if conifers might have gone extinct without their efficient type of water valve, "what this study shows is that without this valve, it would be 38 times harder for conifers to take up water, which would put them at a serious disadvantage in competition with flowering trees in temperate forests," says Sperry.
The study was part of a University of Utah doctoral thesis by Jarmila Pitterman, now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. She and Sperry conducted the study with other University of Utah biologists: Uwe Hacke, a research assistant professor; lab technician James Wheeler, who has since left for graduate school at Harvard University; and Elzard Sikkema, an undergraduate.
The Plumbing System of Trees
The numerous parallel "pipes" that carry water upward through the woody trunks of evergreen coniferous trees are single-celled conduits called "tracheids" and are only a few millimeters long (about one eighth of an inch). In flowering trees, the pipes are multicellular conduits called vessels and are 10 times longer, or a few centimeters long (more than one inch).
As a result, water moving up through an evergreen must pass through 10 times as many valves (known technically as "pits") as water moving up through the trunk of other trees. Sperry said that should be a severe handicap for conifers in competing against flowering trees for water.
Yet conifers thrive, and they dominate forests in many regions of Earth. Hacke says the planet's tallest trees are conifers: redwoods and sequoias. So are the oldest trees, bristlecone pines. So how did conifers overcome the handicap of short pipes?
Scientists already knew that the valves between water pipes or conduits are far different in conifers than in angiosperms, or flowering trees, but they did not know how that difference affected water flow. In the new study, the biologists measured water flow through twigs from 18 species of conifers and 29 species of angiosperms.
Conifers studied included Douglas fir, subalpine fir, white fir, lodgepole pine, various spruces, Utah juniper, Rocky Mountain juniper, redwoods, bald cypress and conifers known as podocarps and araucarias from New Zealand and New Caledonia.
Angiosperms included oaks, willows, ash, various maples, hickory, mulberry, creosote bushes, manzanita, serviceberry, mountain mahogany, grapevine and others.
The researchers connected both ends of each twig to plastic tubing, used an elevated reservoir's gravity to force water into one end of each twig, and then used an electronic balance to weigh water dripping out the other end. Then, based on the number of conduits and valves in twigs and their known dimensions, the biologists calculated the resistance to water flow of both the conduits and the valves.
The scientists found that for conduits of the same diameter, resistance to water flow in conifers was only 1.2 times greater than in flowering trees – essentially the same. Sperry calls that "remarkable." And water flow actually was better in conifers than in flowering trees in terms of resistance to flow per unit area of wood.
The pits or valves that connect the water conduits in trees not only carry water up trees from the roots, but also prevent air from entering the conduits and killing trees.
The Structure of Water Valves in Trees
Sperry says the range of conduit diameters vary but overlap for conifers and flowering trees. The conduits or tracheids in conifers range from 10 to 50 microns (millionths of a meter) in diameter, while the conduits or vessels in flowering trees range from 15 to 110 microns.
The valves are in "end walls" at both ends of water conduits. In conifers, there are about 25 to 50 valves at each end of a conduit; in flowering trees there are many more.
These valves are disk-shaped membranes. In flowering trees, the membranes are homogenous, with water seeping through microscopic pores. But in conifers, the valve membranes have what is known as "torus-margo" structure that resembles a bird's-eye-view of a circular trampoline.
"It's like a trampoline in that the torus is the mat, and the margo represents the supporting springs with holes between them," Sperry says. "The margo holds the torus in place just like springs hold the trampoline in place."
Water cannot pass through the central torus, but easily flows through the margo pores, which are about 100 times larger than the pore in flowering tree valves – on the scale of one 10-millionth of a meter versus one billionth of a meter.
The bottom line is that conifers have shorter conduits and fewer valves, both of which would increase resistance to water flow, "but they compensate for that because each individual valve is so much more efficient," Sperry says. "The flow resistance through a valve of a given size is 59 times lower in a Christmas tree than in an oak tree."
Flowering trees have longer, more efficient conduits, but less efficient valves.
Evolution Produces Two Ways to Water a Tree
Sperry says conifers and flowering trees evolved with "two solutions to the same problem."
Conifers, which arose more than 280 million years ago, have primitive conduits that are short and inefficient and evolved in some of the oldest plants some 400 million years ago. The highly efficient, torus-margo valves evolved in conifers and their relatives no later than 220 million years ago, Sperry says.
Flowering plants evolved at least 146 million years ago and retained inefficient valves that first appeared some 400 million years ago in ferns, cycads and other primitive plants. But flowering plants evolved longer conduits to get around the problem.
"The evolution of the specialized valve and the specialized conduit are both ways of achieving more efficient water transport within a tree," for conifers and flowering trees, respectively, Sperry says.
He says that as angiosperms evolved and competed with conifers for water, "it is quite possible that if conifers hadn't evolved this efficient valve, they wouldn't have been as conspicuous an element of today's forests. Being at such a tremendous disadvantage in the competition for water, it is unlikely they would be such a dominant element in modern forests." ###
Contact: John Sperry professor of biology sperry@biology.utah.edu office: 801-585-0379 lab: 801-585-0381
Lee Siegel science news specialistUniversity of Utah Public Relations leesiegel@ucomm.utah.edu office: 801-581-8993 cellular: 801-244-5399
University of Utah Public Relations201 S Presidents Circle, Room 308Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-9017(801) 581-6773 fax: 585-3350 www.utah.edu/unews
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The Cosmic Christmas Ghost
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| [HiRes - 978k] | [HiRes - 836k] |
ESO PR Photo 42a/05 shows the area surrounding the stellar cluster NGC 2467, located in the southern constellation of Puppis ("The Stern"). With an age of a few million years at most, it is a very active stellar nursery, where new stars are born continuously from large clouds of dust and gas.
The image, looking like a colourful cosmic ghost or a gigantic celestial Mandrill [1] , contains the open clusters Haffner 18 (centre) and Haffner 19 (middle right: it is located inside the smaller pink region - the lower eye of the Mandrill), as well as vast areas of ionised gas.
The bright star at the centre of the largest pink region on the bottom of the image is HD 64315, a massive young star that is helping shaping the structure of the whole nebular region.
ESO PR Photo 42a/05 was taken with the Wide-Field Imager camera at the 2.2m MPG/ESO telescope located at La Silla, in Chile.
Another image of the central part of this area is shown as ESO PR Photo 42b/05. It was obtained with the FORS2 instrument at ESO's Very Large Telescope on Cerro Paranal, also in Chile.
ESO PR Photo 42b/05 zooms in on the open stellar cluster Haffner 18, perfectly illustrating three different stages of this process of star formation: In the centre of the picture, Haffner 18, a group of mature stars that have already dispersed their birth nebulae, represents the completed product or immediate past of the star formation process. Located at the bottom left of this cluster, a very young star, just come into existence and, still surrounded by its birth cocoon of gas, provides insight into the very present of star birth. Finally, the dust clouds towards the right corner of the image are active stellar nurseries that will produce more new stars in the future.
Haffner 18 contains about 50 stars, among which several short lived, massive ones. The massive star still surrounded by a small, dense shell of hydrogen, has the rather cryptic name of FM3060a. The shell is about 2.5 light-years wide and expands at a speed of 20 km/s. It must have been created some 40,000 years ago. The cluster is between 25,000 and 30,000 light-years away from us [2].
Technical information: ESO PR Photo 42a/05 is based on images obtained with the WFI instrument on the ESO/MPG 2.2-m telescope for Rubio/Minniti/Barba/Mendez on December, 2003. The 49 observations were done in six different filters : U (2 hour exposure) B, OIII, V, H-alpha and R (1 hour exposure each). The data were extracted from the ESO Science Archive. The raw observations were reduced and combined by Benoît Vandame (ESO). The final image is based on the data from the U, OIII and H-alpha filters. North is right and East is to the top. The field of view is about 30x30 arcmin. ESO PR Photo 42a/05 is a colour-composite image obtained with the FORS2 multi-mode instrument on Kueyen, the second Unit Telescope of the Very Large Telescope. The data was collected during the commissioning of the instrument in February 2000, through 4 filters: B, V, R and I, for a total exposure time of only 11 minutes. The observations were extracted from the ESO Science Archive and reduced by Henri Boffin (ESO). North is above and East is to the left. Final processing of ESO PR Photo 42a/05 and 42b/05 was done by Kristina Boneva and Haennes Heyer (ESO).
Notes
[1]: NGC 2467 is also sometimes referred as the "Skull and Crossbones".
[2]: A study of the cluster Haffner 18 is presented in Moreno-Corral et al. (2005), Rev. Mex. A&A 41, 69 and in Munari et al. (1998), MNRAS 297, 867. ESO Media Contacts are on the Public Affairs Dept. Contact page.
National contacts for the media:
Belgium - Dr. Rodrigo Alvarez +32-2-474 70 50 rodrigo.alvarez@oma.be
Finland - Ms. Terhi Loukiainen +358 9 7748 8385 terhi.loukiainen@aka.fi
Denmark - Dr. Michael Linden-Vørnle +45-33-18 19 97 mykal@tycho.dk
France - Dr. Daniel Kunth +33-1-44 32 80 85 kunth@iap.fr
Germany - Dr. Jakob Staude +49-6221-528229 staude@mpia.de
Italy - Prof. Massimo Capaccioli +39-081-55 75 511 capaccioli@na.astro.it
The Netherlands - Ms. Marieke Baan +31-20-525 74 80 mbaan@science.uva.nl
Portugal - Prof. Teresa Lago +351-22-089 833 mtlago@astro.up.pt
Sweden - Dr. Jesper Sollerman +46-8-55 37 85 54 jesper@astro.su.se
Switzerland - Dr. Martin Steinacher +41-31-324 23 82 martin.steinacher@sbf.admin.ch
United Kingdom - Mr. Peter Barratt +44-1793-44 20 25 Peter.Barratt@pparc.ac.uk
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Saturday, December 24, 2005
How Does NORAD Track Santa? (REPOST)
 tracking santa | NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa - radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighter aircraft. |
| It all starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System. This powerful radar system has 47 installations strung across Canada's North and Alaska. NORAD makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole on Christmas Eve. |  santa tracking |
When a rocket or missile is launched, a tremendous amount of heat is produced - enough for the satellites to see them. Rudolph's nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch. The satellites can detect Rudolph's bright red nose with practically no problem. With so many years of experience, NORAD has become good at tracking aircraft entering North America, detecting worldwide missile launches and tracking the progress of Santa, thanks to Rudolph. It is important to note, however, that our scientists have tried to determine the chemical process that occurs that creates the heat that is generated by Rudolph's nose but they have not been able to thus far.
The third system we use is the Santa Cam. We began using it in 1998 - the year we put our Santa Tracking program on the Internet. NORAD Santa Cams are ultra-cool high-tech high-speed digital cameras that are pre-positioned at many places around the world. NORAD only uses these cameras once a year - Christmas Eve. We turn the cameras on about one hour before Santa enters a country then switch them off after we capture images of him and the Reindeer. We immediately download the images on to our web site for people around the world see. Santa Cams produce both video and still images.
The last system we use is the NORAD jet fighter. Canadian NORAD fighter pilots, flying the CF-18, take off out of Newfoundland to intercept and welcome Santa to North America. Then at numerous locations in Canada other CF-18 fighter pilots escort Santa, while in the United States American NORAD fighter pilots in either the F-15 or F-16 get the thrill of flying with Santa and the famous Reindeer Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph. About a dozen NORAD fighters in Canada and the United States are equipped with Santa Cams complete list of santa cams world wide
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Kris Kringle Signs Open Skies Agreement
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta And North Pole’s Kris Kringle Sign Open Skies Agreement
Agreement Gives Santa Greater Access to Rooftops of Good Kids Everywhere
Just in time for Christmas, Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta and the North Pole’s Kris Kringle, a.k.a. Santa Claus, signed an Open Skies aviation agreement in Washington, D.C. today, giving Santa and his team of reindeer greater access to the rooftops of good kids everywhere.
For years, Santa had been required to make an annual request to the Secretary of Transportation for a special flight certificate in order to deliver his Christmas goodies. With this new agreement, it will be easier for Santa to finish his job all in one night.
“Santa can now focus on making his list and checking it twice, without the hassle of government paperwork,” said Secretary Mineta. “Thanks to this agreement, the only time he needs to worry about Red Tape is if he wants to use it to wrap presents.”
The Open Skies agreement signed by Secretary Mineta and Santa Claus noted Santa’s safe and efficient toy delivery operation that enables him to bring joy to millions of children in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and all U.S. territories, all without impact to air traffic carrying travelers to their holiday destinations.
“Now it’s just HO HO HO and off I go,” exclaimed the Jolly Old Elf. “The reindeer and I look forward to checking this item off of our list for good,” he said.
Mineta said the decision was helped by a flood of public comments offered by Santa advocates from all over the nation. Thousands of letters were sent to the Department of Transportation and to the North Pole encouraging each party to complete these important negotiations before Santa’s yearly trip, he said.
“Santa’s Elves are tough negotiators,” Mineta noted. “But, in the end, we were able to arrive at an agreement that will benefit children of all ages.”
### DOT 184-05, Wednesday, December 21, 2005, Contact: Brian Turmail, Tel.: (202) 366-4570
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Presidential Podcast 12/24/05
Presidential Podcast 12/24/05
Subscribe to Our Odeo Podcast Channel and receive the Presidential Radio Address each week. Featuring real audio amd full text transcript
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bush radio address 12/24/05 full audio, text transcript
bush radio address 12/24/05 full VIDEO, text transcript PODCAST
President's Radio Address
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. On this Christmas Eve, Laura and I send our best wishes to families across America as you gather in your homes to celebrate the holiday. Christmas is a time of joy and peace, and we hope the holiday season brings all of you happy reunions with families and friends, and time to rest and reflect as you look forward to a new year.
At Christmas, we give thanks for the gift of the birth of Christ, and for the blessings that surround us every day of the year. In this great and prosperous land, we have so much to be thankful for, and Christmas reminds us of our obligation to share these blessings with others. There are many among us who are hurting and require a helping hand. In the new year, I hope Americans will look for ways to volunteer your time and talents where they are needed most. By reaching out to a neighbor in need, we make our nation a more just and compassionate place.
This Christmas, we remember our fellow citizens who suffered from the hurricanes and other disasters that struck our nation this past year. We pray for their strength as they continue to recover and rebuild their lives and their communities.
During the holiday season and throughout the year, we think with pride of the men and women of our Armed Forces, who are keeping our nation safe and defending freedom around the world. In Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, they are protecting our liberty by spreading liberty to others, and all Americans are grateful to our troops for their courage and commitment.
We're also grateful to their families. Staying behind when a family member goes to war is a heavy burden -- and it's particularly hard at Christmas. We pray for our military families; we ask Almighty God to bestow His protection and care on their loved ones as they protect our nation from grave dangers.
We also remember the heroic men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation's freedom. We pray that God will comfort the loved ones they left behind. The sacrifices of these brave troops have rescued millions from lives of tyranny and sorrow, and made America more secure. We will always cherish the memory of each of our fallen servicemen and women, and count it a privilege to be citizens of the country they served.
The times we live in have brought many challenges to our country. And at such times, the story of Christmas brings special comfort and confidence. Christmas reminds us that we can trust in God's promise of peace on Earth and goodwill toward men. On a night more than 2,000 years ago, an angel of the Lord brought good tidings of great joy: the God of Heaven had come to Earth, and He would be with us always.
Thank you for listening, and Merry Christmas.
END For Immediate Release, December 24, 2005
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Freedom Calendar 12/24/05 - 12/31/05
December 24, 1833, Birth of African-American Republican Joseph Corbin, Arkansas Superintendent of Education (1873-74).
Christmas Day December 25, 1804, Birth of U.S. Rep. George Ashmun (R-MA), anti-slavery activist and Chairman of 1860 Republican National Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln.
December 26, 1939, Birth of former U.S. Rep. Lynn Martin (R-IL), who as Vice Chair of the Republican Conference was the first Republican woman in a congressional leadership position; later served as Secretary of Labor in the administration of President George H. W. Bush.
December 27, 1910, Birth of African-American physician Aris Allen, Chairman of Maryland Republican Party and Secretary of 1980 Republican National Convention.
December 28, 1973, Banned Russian author and human rights activist Alexander Solzhenitsyn publishes Gulag Archipelago; President Ronald Reagan would quote his undelivered Nobel acceptance speech in national TV address to Soviet Union.
December 29, 1930, Death of Walter Cohen, African-American Republican from New Orleans; served in McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and Coolidge administrations.
December 30, 1842, Birth of Republican U.S. Rep. Josiah Walls, who in 1871 became Florida’s first African-American in Congress.
December 31, 1898, Republican Theodore Roosevelt becomes Governor of New York; in 1900, he outlawed racial segregation in New York public schools.
"The Republican Party, on the contrary [to the Democrats], holds that this government was instituted to secure the blessings of freedom, and that slavery is an unqualified evil… . [Republicans] will oppose in all its length and breadth the modern Democratic idea that slavery is as good as freedom.”
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States
SOURCE: 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar more at President Bush and Freedom Calendar or Republican and Republicans or African-Americans and Hispanic or right to vote and Civil Rights or Abraham Lincoln
Related: Keywords Freedom Calendar, Saturday, December 17, 2005 Freedom Calendar 12/17/05 - 12/24/05, Saturday, December 10, 2005 Freedom Calendar 12/10/05 - 12/17/05, December 03, 2005 Freedom Calendar 12/03/05 - 12/10/05, Saturday, November 26, 2005 Freedom Calendar 11/26/05 - 12/03/05, Saturday, November 19, 2005 Freedom Calendar 11/19/05 - 11/26/05, Saturday, November 12, 2005 Freedom Calendar 11/12/05 - 11/19/05, Saturday, November 05, 2005 Freedom Calendar 11/05/05 - 11/12/05, Saturday, October 29, 2005 Freedom Calendar 10/29/05 - 11/05/05, Saturday, October 22, 2005 Freedom Calendar 10/22/05 - 10/028/05, Saturday, October 15, 2005 Freedom Calendar 10/15/05 - 10/022/05, Thursday, September 29, 2005 The Opelousas Massacre, Saturday, October 08, 2005 Freedom Calendar 10/08/05 - 10/015/05 , Saturday, October 01, 2005 Freedom Calendar 10/01/05 - 10/08/05, Saturday, September 24, 2005 Freedom Calendar 09/24/05 - 10/01/05, Saturday, September 17, 2005 Freedom Calendar 09/17/05 - 09/24/05, Saturday, September 10, 2005 Freedom Calendar 09/10/05 - 09/17/05
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Friday, December 23, 2005
President and Mrs. Bush Thank Military Medical Caregivers (VIDEO)
President and Mrs. Bush Thank Military Medical Caregivers, FULL STREAMING VIDEO, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland 10:34 A.M. EST.
 | With Mrs. Laura Bush looking on, President George W. Bush addresses military medical caregivers Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005, before visiting with the wounded at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The President told the caregivers, |
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for such a warm welcome. Laura and I are thrilled to be back at this unbelievable facility -- unbelievable because of the buildings and the technology that's used here and the equipment; but, more importantly, because of the decency and compassion and skill of our healers that work for our country
So first we want to thank you all for helping do a really important job. And that is to be able to say to our country, at any time anybody gets hurt anywhere, they're going to get the best medical care possible. And that's done right here at Bethesda, as well as Walter Reed. And so we're here to thank the nurses and the docs and the healers and the volunteers who help put the smile on the faces of those who have been hurt, as well as their families.
One of the great blessings of our country is the fact that there are millions of compassionate souls who are willing to try to make somebody's life better.
I want to thank Admiral Robinson and Dr. Winkenwerder, Admiral Arthur. I want to thank General Kiley and Lieutenant General Peach Taylor, as well as Major General Farmer. And thank Tom Travis, as well -- happens to be his birthday, by the way. (Laughter.) His wife said, you're birthday gift is to say hello to the President -- not a really good gift. (Laughter.) Anyway. (Laughter.)
We're serving in an amazing time. I say, "We're serving," because we're serving together. It is a time when this nation of ours is facing unbelievable challenges. There is an enemy that still lurks, that wants to bring harm to the American people. And we've got to do everything in our power to protect the American people; that is our solemn duty. There is a fantastic opportunity, as we defeat this enemy, to lay the foundation for peace for generations to come.
We have a great opportunity as a generation called to act, called to protect America, to seize the moment and defeat this ideology with freedom. You know, I like to tell people about how -- "amazed" isn't the right word -- but how stark this story I'm about to tell you is to me, what an amazing contrast it is about Japan.
You know, my dad, as an 18-year-older signed up -- in the United States Navy, by the way. There you go. (Applause.) And there were a lot of 18-year-old and 19-year-old and 20-year-old kids, and some older people, too -- (laughter) -- to fight against a sworn enemy which had attacked us.
Laura and I just got back from the Far East, and I sat down at the table with the Prime Minister of Japan, talking about how to keep the peace, talking about how to deal with North Korea, talking about how -- and thanking him, by the way, for sending troops to Iraq to help this young democracy develop. And it was that contrast between what 41 did and what 43 is doing -- that would be my dad and me. (Laughter.) To sit down with a dad -- which we're going to do here over Christmas -- who fought the Japanese, and his son is helping to keep the peace with the Japanese, something had to have happened.
And one of my predecessors, Harry Truman, recognized the power of freedom to transform an enemy into an ally, that's what happened. And so Japan adopted a Japanese-style democracy, and in that, democracies don't fight each other; in that, democracy is the best way to encourage a peaceful world. It's working.
And what we're seeing today is brave troops and committed citizens who are not only determined to chase down the killers and bring them to justice before they hurt us again, but understand that by spreading freedom and democracy, we're battling an ideology of darkness with an ideology of hope, and we're laying that foundation for peace for generations to come. The task at hand is one that requires determination and discipline and great faith in the ideals of human freedom and human liberty.
And so coming here today is a chance to not only thank you for being a part of this incredible team of healers, but also being a part of this historic moment. Some day, an American President will be sitting down with a duly elected leader of Iraq, working hard to keep the peace, and future generations of America will be saying, thank God this generation of America stood strong for what we believe. (Applause.)
And so on behalf of a grateful nation, thanks for doing your duty, thanks for serving, thanks for being an important part of this march for freedom; and thanks, most of all, for bringing comfort and aid and solace to those who have been hurt on the battlefield and their families.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed 2006. May God bless your work, and may God continue to bless the United States. (Applause.)
END 10:41 A.M. EST For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, December 21, 2005
more at President Bush and White House or VIDEO and Laura Bush or Military and Medical Caregivers
Related: Keywords Military Medical, Friday, May 13, 2005 Medical BRAC Recommendations, Wednesday, May 25, 2005 H.R.1815 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006,
Related: Keywords Medicare Prescription Drug, Tuesday, September 07, 2004 cheney edwards vice presidential debate Full Text, Monday, December 13, 2004 Mike Leavitt Secretary of HHS, Wednesday, February 09, 2005 Medicare Drug Benefit Estimates Unchanged, Friday, July 29, 2005 Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act, VIDEO, Monday, August 29, 2005 New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, Thursday, November 03, 2005 National Diabetes Month, 2005, Thursday, November 03, 2005 National Family Caregivers Month 2005, Sunday, November 06, 2005 Obesity measure, accurately assess heart attack risk, Saturday, November 12, 2005 bush radio address 11/12/05 full audio, text transcript,
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Swearing-In of Millennium Challenge CEO (VIDEO)
President Attends Swearing-In of Millennium Challenge CEO,FULL STREAMING VIDEO, The State Department 10:06 A.M. EST.
 | President George W. Bush stands by as John Danilovich signs appointment affidavits after being sworn in Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2005, as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation during ceremonies at the U.S. Department of State. |
President George W. Bush stands by as John Danilovich signs appointment affidavits after being sworn in Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2005, as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation during ceremonies at the U.S. Department of State.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's nice to be back here at the State Department. I'm glad to be with my friend, Condi Rice, who's doing a fabulous job as our Secretary of State. (Applause.) It's also good to be here with the Board and staff of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. And I'm proud to be here to congratulate the new Chief Executive Officer, Ambassador John Danilovich.
This is a vital part for our country and for my administration. And that's why I've come. The MCC is an integral part of our strategy to fight poverty and to encourage economic development. And leading this organization requires a combination of idealism and managerial skill and diplomatic savvy and economic expertise. John Danilovich has those qualities -- that's why I picked him and that's why he's going to be a great executive leading this important corporation.
I'm also proud to be standing up here with Irene; and I'm glad to be with his three children, J.C., Alice and Alex, proud members of the Danilovich family. I appreciate Ambassador Negroponte being here today -- thank you, John. He's doing a fine job as the Director of National Intelligence. In order to defeat the enemy, we have got to have the best intelligence possible. Thanks for your leadership.
Deputy Secretary Bob Kimmitt of the Treasury is with us. I see my friend, Mosbacher, here, from OPIC. Thanks for coming, Rob. Members of the administration too numerous to mention are here, and I want to thank the ambassadors, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Your Excellencies, thanks for being here today.
America is founded on the belief that every life has dignity and every life has value, and we have long felt a special responsibility to help the less fortunate. For decades, our country sent aid to developing -- to the developing world with the best of intentions -- but we did not ask if we were getting the best of results. Too often, American aid was squandered by inept leaders, pocketed by corrupt officials, and swallowed up by rampant inflation. Without insisting on accountability in exchange for generosity, we were not serving the people of the developing countries, and we were not serving American taxpayers.
And so my administration decided to do something about it. We decided to insist upon results. Almost two years ago, we launched the Millennium Challenge Account as an entirely new way to provide aid. The MCA is based on clear principle: countries that seek our aid must demonstrate a record of performance. I don't think that's too much to ask on behalf of the taxpayer, nor is it too much to demand on behalf of people living in the countries we're trying to help.
Specifically, countries seeking MCA assistance have got to show results in three key areas. They must govern justly -- that makes sense. They must invest in their people -- that's a wise use of money. And they must encourage economic freedom.
Poor countries that prove a commitment to these sound policies are eligible to apply for an MCC compact. That's an interesting word, "compact." It means we're working together. It means these countries have to design a proposal that will reduce national poverty and stimulate economic growth. We consider each proposal through a rigorous process -- sometimes too slow and too rigorous -- and then award compacts to countries with wise proposals that include a way to measure results. By requiring countries to create and implement their own strategies, they have a stake in their own success -- and we're giving Americans reason to be confident as we spend their money.
The Millennium Challenge Account has the potential to transform the way the world delivers aid. So far, we have signed compacts with five nations, and committed to deliver nearly a billion dollars in assistance. That money is making life-changing difference in some of the poorest countries in the world. In Madagascar, where 80 percent of the people live on less than $2 a day, the MCA compact is helping to modernize the national land registry, which will help secure property rights for more than 60,000 families. In Honduras and Nicaragua, MCA compacts are helping farmers improve their business plans to grow more profitable crops, and to get the crops to the markets faster. In Georgia, where I visited last spring, an MCA compact is helping to rebuild a gas pipeline that will provide reliable heat and electricity for more than a million people. And in Cape Verde, off the Atlantic coast of Africa, an MCA compact is funding the construction of new roads and bridges that will connect some of the nation's key islands. These small nations are making big commitments, and America is proud to stand by their side.
We support people who fight corruption. We support people who invest in the health and education of their children. We support people who understand that economic freedom is the way to improve the lives of their citizens.
We have more to do to fight poverty. I believe central to our foreign policy must be, to whom much is given, much is required. That's why we're leading the fight against HIV/AIDS. That's why we're feeding the hungry. And we're going to continue to help eradicate poverty around the world. John Danilovich is the right person to take on this part of our efforts to fight poverty. He knows how to set priorities, he knows how to solve problems, he knows how to cut through bureaucracy.
In his first six weeks on the job, he has taken steps to streamline the administration at the Corporation, and to expedite the application process for eligible countries. John and the MCC board will now consider the applications of nearly two dozen countries that were recently selected as eligible for compacts. Many of these countries have made good progress on their proposals. I've asked John to complete and sign several more compacts in the coming months.
It's a good program. Let's get it moving and let's implement it for the sake of -- for the sake of eliminating poverty around the world. The success of the MCA is reinforcing our belief that lifting nations out of poverty requires partnership -- not paternalism. In the 21st century, America is willing to be a partner with every nation that works to advance the prosperity, equality and liberty of its people.
This is a commitment I've carried across continents -- from the United Nations in New York to Europe, to South America, to Africa, and Asia. It is a commitment I have urged leaders of other developed nations to adopt, by insisting on measurable results for their own foreign aid. It is a commitment that I urge the United States Congress to continue to support, by funding our requests for MCC funding. And it is a commitment that I am honored to entrust to Ambassador John Danilovich, as he becomes the second Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
Congratulations, John. Thanks for your willingness to serve. (Applause.)
(Ambassador John Danilovich is sworn in.) (Applause.)
AMBASSADOR DANILOVICH: Mr. President, Madam Secretary, members of the administration, distinguished guests, family and friends. Mr. President, I want to thank you for your generous words of support and entrusting me with the leadership of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. And I want to express my personal appreciation for your presence and remarks here this morning to reiterate your commitment to this initiative, and to reinforce our efforts to fulfill that vision.
Your bold, creative, and innovative vision of the Millennium Challenge Account, to reduce poverty through sustainable economic growth, represents the most significant and dynamic initiative in development assistance since the Marshal Plan. In response to your call to action, the MCC has taken shape, and with the leadership of Secretary Rice as our chair, a distinguished board, and a dedicated MCC staff, I can assure that we are now moving expeditiously to fulfill your mandate.
Our core principle is that growth occurs fastest in countries that adopt and adhere good policies, and that foreign assistance is most effective in countries that are democratic and practice good governance, invest in the well-being of all of their people -- men and women -- and encourage economic freedom. Our 16 policy indicators are used to select countries that are fighting corruption, to provide an environment for free and open exchange of ideas, that create a just and equitable legal system, and that invest in health and education.
Through a consultative process and country ownership, we promote and create incentives for a culture of accountability and transparency. Our MCA countries are taking the at times difficult, complicated, and in some cases, previously unimaginable, but absolutely necessary steps, to put in place the reforms to be eligible for MCA funding.
These are not Pollyanna remedies. They hammer home a tough but clear message of reason, compassion and hope that enable these countries to use the tools in their own hands to reduce poverty and provide them with a firm grip on the ladder of economic development and growth.
We're presently working with 23 countries that are eligible for MCA funding. We have signed five compacts, as the President noted, with Madagascar, Cape Verde, Nicaragua, Honduras and Georgia, and have committed nearly $1 billion to implement these compacts. We plan to sign three more compacts in the immediate future, and several more throughout 2006.
From Mongolia to Morocco, Mali and Mozambique, to Gambia, and Ghana and Namibia and Lesotho, to Benin and Burkina Faso and Tanzania, to Bolivia and El Salvador, to Senegal, Sri Lanka and East Timor, to Armenia and Banawatu, your initiative, Mr. President, has begun to provide the impetus for social, economic and political reform and transformation. And these countries know that the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, members of Congress and the MCC acknowledge their efforts, and are willing to support and reward them.
Mr. President, Madam Secretary, you have my commitment and the commitment of all of us at MCC to see this through. I want to express my gratitude to Senator Lugar and to Congressman Kolbe, and other members of our Congress, for their support in this effort.
I also want to thank my family -- my wife, Irene, and our children, John Charles, Alice and Alexander -- for their support and understanding. In Costa Rica and Brazil and now Washington, they have responded with strength, grace, and agility to the bands upon them, and they have been outstanding ambassadors for our country.
And Mr. President, Madam Secretary, I thank you for your guidance and support of the MCC and for your friendship. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 10:20 A.M. EST For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, December 20, 2005
more at President Bush and White House or Millennium Challenge Corporation and Millennium+Challenge or Condoleezza Rice
Related Keywords Millennium Challenge, Monday, March 14, 2005 Madagascar's Millennium Challenge Account Compact, Tuesday, April 19, 2005 Madagascar and Millennium Challenge Corporation Board, Friday, May 20, 2005 Honduras, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Sunday, July 03, 2005 LIVE 8 Performers in Philadelphia Speak Out for Africa, Sunday, July 03, 2005 Geldof, Bono praise Bush before Group of Eight Summit in Scotland, Tuesday, July 05, 2005 U2's Bono Praises President and Calls for Action!, Wednesday, July 06, 2005 Cape Verde Signing Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact, Thursday, July 14, 2005 Nicaragua, Millennium Challenge Compact, Wednesday, September 14, 2005 President Addresses UN (VIDEO),
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