State of the Union: Key quotes

Extracts from US President George W Bush's 2006 State of the Union address:

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CHOICES

In this decisive year, you and I will make choices that determine both the future and the character of our country.

We will choose to act confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom - or retreat from our duties in the hope of an easier life.

We will choose to build our prosperity by leading the world economy - or shut ourselves off from trade and opportunity.

In a complex and challenging time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting - yet it ends in danger and decline.

The only way to protect our people, the only way to secure the peace, the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership - so the United States of America will continue to lead.

IRAN

[Iran is] a nation now held hostage by a small clerical elite that is isolating and repressing its people... The Iranian government is defying the world with its nuclear ambitions - and the nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons.

Let me speak directly to the citizens of Iran: America respects you, and we respect your country. We respect your right to choose your own future and win your own freedom.

IRAQ

We are on the offensive in Iraq.

I am confident in our plan for victory - I am confident in the will of the Iraqi people - I am confident in the skill and spirit of our military. Fellow citizens, we are in this fight to win, and we are winning.

THE PALESTINIANS

The Palestinian people have voted in elections - now the leaders of Hamas must recognize Israel, disarm, reject terrorism, and work for lasting peace.

FREEDOM

Every step toward freedom in the world makes our country safer, and so we will act boldly in freedom's cause. Far from being a hopeless dream, the advance of freedom is the great story of our time.

Ultimately, the only way to defeat the terrorists is to defeat their dark vision of hatred and fear by offering the hopeful alternative of political freedom and peaceful change.

ECONOMY

We will build the prosperity of our country by strengthening our economic leadership in the world.

The American economy is pre-eminent - but we cannot afford to be complacent. In a dynamic world economy, we are seeing new competitors like China and India.

We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity.

Our greatest advantage in the world has always been our educated, hard-working, ambitious people - and we are going to keep that edge.

ENERGY

America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world.

The best way to break this addiction is through technology.

To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants; revolutionary solar and wind technologies; and clean, safe nuclear energy.

We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We will also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn but from wood chips, stalks, or switch grass.

Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75% of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025.

HUMAN CLONING

I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research - human cloning in all its forms: creating or implanting embryos for experiments; creating human-animal hybrids; and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos. Human life is a gift from our Creator - and that gift should never be discarded, devalued, or put up for sale.

SOCIETY

Our greatness is not measured in power or luxuries, but by who we are and how we treat one another. So we strive to be a compassionate, decent, hopeful society.