President Reagan: Good evening my fellow citizens.

I want to speak to you this evening about my highest duty as President: to preserve peace and defend these United States.

I am speaking to you tonight because we stand united — we stand united in our resolve to do something about the darkness of theocratic totalitarianism.

The program that I launched to restore peace in the Middle East is under grave threat. I’m not going to subject you to the jumbled political jargon of the analysts in Washington. But, rather, I’m going to explain where we are and how we can ultimately defeat the theocratic and totalitarian Islamic State that threatens the global balance of power.

Never before in our history have Americans been called upon to face such a threat to our very existence, one which can destroy us as a people. I’m talking about the threat of theocratic totalitarianism and its dark and oppressive ideology.

Theocratic totalitarianism is not some abstract theory only discussed in universities. Theocratic totalitarianism is a problem of flesh and blood. It is a problem that causes pain and destroys the moral fiber of real people who should not suffer the further indignity of being subjected to oppression, displacement, slavery, torture, and other acts of barbarianism.

Sometimes you have to admit you’ve made the wrong decision. That is why we are effectively changing course in Iraq. Starting tonight, I’ve instructed the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a new strategy that employs all military resources to combat the greatest terror of our generation: theocratic totalitarianism.

Further, our objective is give all minority populations of the Middle East a seat at the political table. If this is not achieved in 12 months the U.S. will unilaterally partition the country of Iraq into three states and divide Syria into two. We anticipate a ten year partition phase in which our end state is five separate, UN-recognized states under complete U.S. military control.

I will never ask for what isn’t needed; I will never fight for what isn’t necessary. But I need your help. Let’s maintain that crucial level of national strength, unity, and purpose. The end of theocratic totalitarianism would be the finest legacy we could leave behind for our children and for their children.

The Middle East of tomorrow starts today.

God Bless You and God Bless the U.S.A.