Summary

George W. Bush begins his 2002 State of the Union address by listing the three most pressing issues for the US: the war in Afghanistan, the economic recession, and the dangers of terrorism.

He reminds the audience of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks four months earlier and enumerates the actions the US has taken.

Bush talks about the US and Afghanistan becoming allies and mentions the new government installed in Afghanistan. He also mentions victims of 9/11 and promises to do them justice.

He reveals that the US has discovered other plans to attack the US in Afghan terrorist camps, arguing this is only the beginning of the war against terrorism. He claims the US has captured hundreds of terrorists and will continue to do so by destroying their camps and by preventing them from developing chemical and biological weapons.

Bush praises the progress of the fight against terrorism in countries like the Philippines, Bosnia, Somalia, and Pakistan. He then criticizes the regimes in North Korea, Iraq, and Iran for supporting terrorist networks and he pledges to stop this.

The speaker argues th...