Bush vs. Bush

Candidate George W. Bush on nation-building:

"Somalia Started off as a humanitarian mission and then changed into a nation-building mission, and that's where the mission went wrong. The mission was changed and, as a result, our nation paid a price. And so I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building. I think our troops ought to be used to fight and win war. I think our troops ought to be used to help overthrow a dictator that's in our—when it's in our best interests. But in this case, it was a nation-building exercise. And the same with Haiti, I wouldn't have supported, either."

"You mentioned Haiti I wouldn't have sent troops to Haiti I didn't think it was a mission worthwhile. It was a nation-building mission, and it was not very successful. It cost us billions—a couple billions of dollars, and I'm not so sure democracy's any better off in Haiti than it was before."

"I don't think so. I think what we need to do is convince people who live in the lands they live in to build the nations. Maybe I'm missing something here. I mean, we're going to have kind of a nation-building corps from America? Absolutely not. Our military is meant to fight and win war; that's what it's meant to do. And when it gets overextended, morale drops."

-- George W. Bush, 2nd Presidential Debate, 10/11/2000

President George W. Bush on nation-building:

"The Afghan people deserve a just and stable government. And we will work with the United Nations to help them build it."

-- George W. Bush, addressing troops at Fort Campbell, KY, 11/21/2001

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"Our mission—besides removing the regime that threatened us, besides ending a place where the terrorists could find a friend, besides getting rid of weapons of mass destruction—our mission has been to bring a humanitarian aid and restore basic services, and put this country, Iraq, on the road to self- government. And we'll stay as long as it takes to complete our mission. And then all our forces are going to leave Iraq and come home."

-- George W. Bush, addressing workers at the tank plant in Lima, OH, 04/24/2003

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"Ambassador Bremer is doing a fine job in an essential cause. The nations in our coalition are determined to help the Iraqi people recover from years of tyranny. And we are determined to help build a free, and sovereign, and democratic nation."

-- George W. Bush, remarks on Iraq from the White House Rose Garden, 07/23/2003