View source for 2003 State of the Union Address

{{Short description|Speech by US President George W. Bush}}
{{Infobox event
| title        = 2003 State of the Union Address
| image        = Dick Cheney at the 2003 State of the Union.jpg
| image_alt    =
| caption      = President [[George W. Bush]] during the speech, with Vice President [[Dick Cheney]] and House Speaker [[Dennis Hastert]] behind him
| time         = 9:00&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| duration     = 59 minutes
| date         = {{start date|2003|01|28}}
| venue        = House Chamber, [[United States Capitol]]
| location     = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| coordinates  = {{coord|38|53|19.8|N|77|00|32.8|W|region:US-DC_type:event|display=inline,title}}
| type         = [[State of the Union|State of the Union Address]]
| theme        =
| participants = {{ubl|[[George W. Bush]]|[[Dick Cheney]]|[[Dennis Hastert]]}}
| url          = 
| website      = 
| blank1_label = Previous
| blank1_data  = [[2002 State of the Union Address]]
| blank2_label = Next
| blank2_data  = [[2004 State of the Union Address]]
}}
The '''2003 State of the Union Address''' was given by the 43rd [[president of the United States]], [[George W. Bush]], on January 28, 2003, at 9:00 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]], in the chamber of the [[United States House of Representatives]] to the [[108th United States Congress]]. It was Bush's second [[State of the Union|State of the Union Address]] and his [[2001 George W. Bush speech to a joint session of Congress|third speech]] to a [[joint session of the United States Congress]]. Presiding over this joint session was the [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|House speaker]], [[Dennis Hastert]], accompanied by [[Dick Cheney]], the [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]], in his capacity as the [[Vice President of the United States#President of the Senate|president of the Senate]].

It outlined justifications for the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]]. It began his discussion of the "[[war on terror]]" by asserting, as he had after September 11, 2001 and in his [[2002 State of the Union Address|previous State of the Union]], that "the gravest danger facing America and the world, is outlaw regimes that seek and possess nuclear, chemical and biological weapons." In 2002, Bush had laid out the "[[Axis of Evil]]", touching on [[Iran]] and [[North Korea]] before elaborating on [[Iraq]]. The 2003 speech would focus entirely on Iraq, in parallel with an ongoing campaign in the [[United Nations]] for support on an Iraq intervention.

Bush said that [[Saddam Hussein]], "a brutal dictator, with a history of reckless aggression, with ties to terrorism, with great potential wealth, will not be permitted to dominate a vital region and threaten the United States." In this context, Bush also said, "The [[United Kingdom|British]] government has learned that [[Saddam Hussein]] recently sought significant quantities of [[yellowcake uranium|uranium]] from [[Africa]]",<ref name="stateunion">{{cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-19.html|author=George W. Bush|title=President Delivers 'State of the Union'|publisher=White House|date=January 28, 2003}}</ref> a line which became a source of contention in the later [[Plame affair]]. The domestic brutality of Hussein and the benefits of liberty and freedom for the Iraqi people were briefly noted near the end of the speech.  He began with, "In all these days of promise and days of reckoning, we can be confident. In a [[whirlwind]] of change and hope and peril, our faith is sure, our resolve is firm, and our union is strong." 
In the middle of the speech, he said, "In Afghanistan, we helped liberate an oppressed people. And we will continue helping them secure their country, rebuild their society, and educate all their children — boys and girls."
He ended with, "Americans are a free people, who know that freedom is the right of every person and the future of every nation. The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world, it is God's gift to humanity."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/t/hist/state-of-the-union/216.html|title=State of the Union Address: George W. Bush (January 28th, 2003)}}</ref>  He spoke to the [[108th United States Congress]].

Just before the President addressed Iraq in the speech, he spent five paragraphs addressing his [[President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief|initiative to fight AIDS in Africa]].<ref>''[http://www.itvs.org/films/give-us-the-money Give Us The Money]'' (documentary film), [[Bosse Lindquist]], director; [[ITVS]], premiered November 26, 2012 on Global Voices, [[PBS]]. Viewed 2013-04-07 via [[MPBN]].</ref>

The [[Democratic Party of the United States|Democratic]] response was given by then [[Washington (state)|Washington]] [[Governor of Washington|Governor]] [[Gary Locke]], who was appointed to be [[United States Ambassador to China]] in 2011.

== See also ==
* [[September Dossier#Allegations|"16 words"]] &ndash; a controversial phrase in George W. Bush's 2003 State of the Union Address

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikisource|George W. Bush's Third State of the Union Address|2003 State of the Union Address}}
{{Wikisource-inline|George W. Bush's Third State of the Union Address}}
* {{cite journal|title=House of Representatives|date=January 28, 2003|journal=[[Congressional Record]]|publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office]]|place=Washington, DC|volume=149|issue=15|pages=H212–H215|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2003-01-28/pdf/CREC-2003-01-28-house.pdf|access-date=August 18, 2024}}
* {{cite news|title=2003 State of the Union Address|date=January 28, 2003|publisher=[[C-SPAN]]|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?174799-1/2003-state-union-address|access-date=August 18, 2024}}
* {{cite news|title=State of the Union Response|date=January 28, 2003|publisher=C-SPAN|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?174799-3/state-union-response|access-date=August 18, 2024}}
*[http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/28/dems.transcript/ Entire 2003 State of the Union Response] (transcript) 

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{{George W. Bush}}
{{State of the Union}}

[[Category:108th United States Congress|State of the Union Address 2003]]
[[Category:2003 in American politics|State of the Union Address]]
[[Category:2003 in Washington, D.C.|State of the Union Address]]
[[Category:2003 in the United States|State of the Union Address]]
[[Category:2003 speeches|State of the Union Address]]
[[Category:Dennis Hastert]]
[[Category:January 2003 in the United States|State of the Union Address]]
[[Category:Presidency of George W. Bush]]
[[Category:Speeches by George W. Bush]]
[[Category:War on terror]]
[[Category:Causes and prelude of the Iraq War]]
[[Category:2000s State of the Union addresses]]