"I have come to Heritage today on the cusp of an historic event," said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday before an overflow crowd in The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium. "Two days from now, the Iraqi people will go to the polls for the third time since January. All across Iraq today, representatives from some 300 political parties are staging rallies, they're holding televised debates, they're hanging campaign posters, and they're taking their case to the Iraqi people. They are asking for the consent of the governed.

"Today, countries that previously doubted the promise of democracy in Iraq are rallying to Iraq’s side. The Iraqi people are seizing an unprecedented opportunity to live at last in peace and in freedom. And their democratic example is inspiring impatient patriots in places like Lebanon and Egypt and the Palestinian territories--courageous men and women who are now finding ever more supporters in the international community to champion their aspirations and defend their dignity.

"The lesson, my friends, is clear: When America leads with principle in the world, freedom’s cause grows stronger. We saw this when Ronald Reagan spurned friendly dictators and supported freedom’s cause in Latin America. We saw this as well when Reagan called out the true character of the Soviet Union and liberated a democratic longing that ended the Cold War. And we are seeing this today, as the world awakens to the promise of a free Iraq."

Read: International Support for Iraqi Democracy by The Honorable Condoleezza Rice

Video: Rice's Speech

The Iraqi Elections: Implications for the Future of Iraq, The Middle East, and U.S. Policy
Thurs., Dec. 15, 2005, 12:00 noon