Tonight I’m pleased to report that we are on course.  Iraq’s capacity to sustain war is being destroyed.  Our investment, our training, our planning —­all are paying off.  Time will not be Saddam’s salvation.

Our purpose in the Persian Gulf remains constant:  to drive Iraq out from Kuwait, to restore Kuwait’s legitimate government, and to insure the stability and security of this critical region.

Let me make clear what I mean by the region’s stability and security.  We do not seek the destruction of Iraq, its culture or its people.  Rather, we seek an Iraq that uses its great resources not to destroy, not to serve the ambitions of a tyrant, but to build a better life for itself and its neighbors.  We seek a Persian Gulf where conflict is no longer the rule, where the strong are neither tempted nor able to intimidate the weak.

Most Americans know instinctively why we are in the Gulf.  They know we had to stop Saddam now, not later.  They know this brutal dictator will do anything, will use any weapon, will commit any outrage, no matter how many innocents must suffer.

They know we must make sure that control of the world’s oil resources does not fall into his hands only to finance further aggression.  They know that we need to build a new, enduring peace—­based not on arms races and confrontation, but on shared principles and the rule of law.

And we all realize that our responsibility to be the catalyst for peace in the region does not end with the successful conclusion of this war.

Democracy brings the undeniable value of thoughtful dissent, and we have heard some dissenting voices here at home, some reckless, most responsible.  But the fact the all the voices have the right to speak out is one of the reasons we’ve been united in principle and purpose for 200 years.

Our progress in this great struggle is the result of years of vigilance and a steadfast commitment to a strong defense.  Now, with remarkable technological advances like the Patriot missile, we can defend the ballistic missile attacks aimed at innocent civilians.

Looking forward, I have directed that the S.D.I. program be refocused on providing protection from limited ballistic missile strikes, whatever their source.  Let us pursue an S.D.I. program that can deal with any future threat to the United States, to our forces overseas and to our friends and allies.

The quality of American technology, thanks to the American worker, has enabled us to successfully deal with difficult military conditions, and help minimize the loss of life.  We have given our men and women the very best.  And they deserve it.

We all have a special place in our hearts for the families of men and women serving in the Gulf.  They are represented here tonight, by Mrs. Norman Schwarzkopf, and to all those serving with him.  And to the families, let me say, our forces in the gulf will not stay there one day longer than is necessary to complete their mission.