To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder. Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region. You have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian Accountability Act -- and we expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom. Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror -- pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium reprocessing, and end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.
As for Iran, I heard exactly what I wanted to hear. Although I would have liked to hear more than one line. I don't know, if I was an Iranian dissident, I would like to hear more than one line at a time. But we can only hope that this line plays heavily among the Iranian people, and that it is acted upon en masse, and soon.
After giving this some thought, I think that the only way Iranian dissidents can accomplish regime change is if there is a large-scale revolt in the oil sector and/or the military. The regime collapses without its current oil revenues. It could also collapse by pressure from its own military. The trick will be revolt by lots of people where coordination is extremely difficult to do. Maybe people will start revolting, and others will exponetially join the revolution.
It can be very hard to be patient, but I try. I agree that regime change will eventually occur - but when? We can't wait forever. I so really don't want a bombing campaign or an invasion into Iran. Bombs can eliminate the regime, but the goal is to bring freedom to Iran, not necessarily destruction.
Watch for May 2005 election in Iran. No one attends in the sham elections in Iran. What does it mean? It has only one clear message... the regime is not wanted any more. I believe Iranians need a leader! Without a leader, the chance of intervention by foreigners would remain high and that is not what I want for my country.
I really wanted Mr. Bush to speak more than one line about Iran. But that made me happy that he knows the differences between Iranian people and Syrian govt. He knows how to speak to two nations. While he addressed the Syrians harshly, he addressed so differently. He talked to us, as the people of Iran, and this is so good. But once again, I really don't want an American made freedom for my country. That is not gonna work in Iran. But I really want a US support for my nation's desire to gain freedom. It is necessary to have world community behind and seek freedom. Military intervention just destroys everything Iranian dissidents have done in the past 7-8 years.
I think the Mullahs can be gone by early 2006 if the US put pressure on the Mullahs and cut the EU-Mullahs relations. The Iranian people will be proud to free their own country and don't ask Americans to free their land.
Iranians must pay the cost of the freedom they want, not Americans.